Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Of H.M.S.
Rattlesnake, Commanded By The Late Captain Owen Stan-
ley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During The Years 1846-1850. In-
cluding Discoveries And Surveys In New Guinea, The
Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. To Which Is Added The Ac-
count Of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition For The Explor-
ation Of The Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgilliv-
ray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist To The Expedition. In Two
Volumes. Volume 1., by John MacGillivray
Language: English
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NARRATIVE OF THE
VOYAGE
OF
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H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE,
COMMANDED BY THE LATE
ETC.
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BY JOHN
MACGILLIVRAY,
F.R.G.S.
NATURALIST TO THE EXPEDITION.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOLUME 1.
LONDON:
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1852.
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TO
MRS. STANLEY,
THIS WORK IS DEDICATED
AS A TRIBUTE OF RESPECT TO THE MEMORY OF
HER SON,
UNDER WHOSE DIRECTION THE PRINCIPAL
OBJECTS
OF THE
VOYAGE OF THE RATTLESNAKE
WERE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED.
PREFACE.
It was originally intended that an account of the Surveying Voyage
of H.M.S. Rattlesnake should have been undertaken conjointly by
the late Captain Owen Stanley and myself, in which case the nar-
rative would have been constructed from the materials afforded by
the journals of both, and the necessary remarks upon hydrograph-
ical subjects would have been furnished by that officer, whose
lamented death in March, 1850, prevented this arrangement from
being carried out. Not having had access to Captain Stanley's
private journals, I considered myself fortunate, when the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty--in addition to sanctioning the
publication of my account of the Voyage in question--directed that
every facility should be afforded me in consulting the manuscript
charts and other hydrographical results at their disposal, and to
Rear-Admiral Sir F. Beaufort, C.B., Commander C.B. Yule, R.N.,
and Lieutenant J. Dayman, R.N., I beg to express my thanks for the
liberal manner in which they carried out their Lordships'
intentions.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME 1.
CHAPTER 1.1.
La Pouce Mountain.
Try for Deep Sea Soundings.
Arrive at Hobart Town.
CHAPTER 1.2.
Arrive at Sydney.
Bramble is attached to the Expedition.
Survey Entrance of Port Jackson and Twofold Bay.
Sail upon our First Northern Cruise.
Arrive at Moreton Bay.
Proceedings there.
Natives at Moreton Island.
Arrive at Port Curtis.
Settlement of North Australia.
Excursions made in Neighbourhood.
Natural Productions.
Call at the Percy Isles.
Port Molle and Cape Upstart.
Unable to find Fresh Water.
Return to Sydney.
Recent Occurrences there.
Sail for Bass Strait.
Visit Port Phillip and Port Dalrymple.
Inspect the Lighthouses of the Strait.
CHAPTER 1.3.
Frankland Isles.
Find the Cocoanut Palm.
Fitzroy Island.
The Will-o-the-Wisp and her Story.
Trinity Bay.
Animals of a Coral Reef.
Stay at Lizard Island.
Howick, Pelican, and Claremont Isles.
Bird Isles.
Meet party of Natives in Distress.
Cairncross Island.
Arrive at Cape York.
CHAPTER 1.4.
CHAPTER 1.5.
CHAPTER 1.6.
CHAPTER 1.7.
Brumer Islands.
Catamarans and Canoes.
Friendly relations with the Natives of New Guinea.
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CHAPTER 1.8.
APPENDIX.
PANDEAN PIPES.
WOODEN PILLOW.
NEW ZOOPHYTES.
C. Busk, delt. W. Wing, lith.
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VOYAGE OF H.M.S.
RATTLESNAKE.
CHAPTER 1.1.
Objects of the Voyage.
Admiralty Instructions.
Hydrographer's Instructions.
Sail from Plymouth.
Arrive at Madeira.
Funchal.
Visit to Curral.
Try for Deep Sea Soundings.
Crossing the Line.
Arrive at Rio de Janeiro.
City of Rio and Neighbourhood.
Dredging in Botafogo Bay.
Slavery.
Religious Processions.
Brazilian Character.
Cross the South Atlantic.
Temperature of the Sea.
Oceanic Birds.
Pelagic Animals.
Arrive at Simon's Bay.
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H.M.S. Rattlesnake, one of the old class of 28-gun ships, was com-
missioned at Portsmouth on September 24th, 1846, by the late
Captain Owen Stanley, with a complement of 180 officers and men.
The nature and objects of the intended voyage will best be con-
veyed to the reader through the medium of the following instruc-
tions from the Admiralty, for the use of which I am indebted to
Lieutenant C.B. Yule, who succeeded to the command of the
Rattlesnake, upon the death of our late lamented Captain, at
Sydney, in March 1850, after the successful accomplishment of the
principal objects of the expedition.
the safety of all vessels which should continue to adopt that mode
of reaching the Strait:
The several objects of that service have been drawn up under our
direction by our Hydrographer; but notwithstanding the order in
which they are placed, we leave to your own discretion the several
periods of their performance, and likewise the times of your return
to Sydney to revictual and refit--being satisfied that your zeal in
pushing forward the survey will never outstrip your attention to
the health and comfort of your crew.
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You will take the Bramble and her tender, the Castlereagh, under
your orders, and employ them in those places which require vessels
of a lighter draft of water than the Rattlesnake. They are to be at-
tached as tenders to the Rattlesnake, and to be manned from that
ship; and such of the present crew of the Bramble as may have
served five years continuously, and volunteer to remain on the sur-
veying service in Australia, are to be entered in the Rattlesnake un-
der the provisions of the Act of Parliament. The books of the
Bramble are to be closed, and she is to be considered as no longer
in commission; and you are here by authorised, after being joined
by her and by the Castlereagh, to enter ten supernumerary seaman
for wages and victuals in the Rattlesnake (making her total com-
plement 190) to enable you effectively to man the said two tenders.
Having completed the service herein set forth, you are to return in
the Rattlesnake, along with the Bramble, to Spithead, when you
will receive directions for your further proceedings. If the Bramble
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HYDROGRAPHER'S INSTRUCTIONS.
In your way to this district, and indeed on every part of the shores
of Australia, you should lose no fair opportunity of verifying the
positions--of multiplying the soundings--and of improving the
smaller details of the coast as laid down by Captain P.P. King in his
excellent Survey, but which he had not time or means to effect with
the same accuracy that will be in your power. By carrying on this
system of correction and improvement in our present charts from
Hervey Bay along the narrow navigation which is generally known
by the name of the Inshore Passage, between the coast and the Bar-
rier Reefs, a very great benefit will be conferred on those masters
of vessels who would be the more readily inclined to adopt that
channel, if certain parts of it were so clearly delineated, and the
soundings so spread on either side of the tracks, that they could
sometimes continue under sail during the night. However neces-
sary it was, and is, to contribute as much as possible to the safety of
those vessels who choose the outer voyage by the Barrier Reefs, it
is not the less our duty to facilitate the navigation of the Inshore
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Passage to all vessels who prefer its tranquillity and security to the
risk of the former; and your labours for the accomplishment of this
object will prove to be of peculiar importance when steam commu-
nication between Singapore and Sydney shall be established.
In Torres Strait you will find much to do--not only has a new rock
been discovered in the middle of the Endeavour Channel, but the
water in its western opening is only four and a half fathoms, and
there seems no reason for not believing that Prince of Wales Chan-
nel is safer, easier, and more direct. But before we can decide upon
that point, an accurate survey must be made of it, throughout its
length and breadth, including the adjacent islands, and showing
their anchorages and watering-places, as well as the nature of the
soil, and the kind of timber they produce, along with a full investig-
ation of the tides.
When you have arrived at this distant point, the south-east mon-
soon will probably render it necessary to repair to Port Essington
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Signed: F. BEAUFORT,
HYDROGRAPHER.
ARRIVE AT MADEIRA.
December 20th.
FUNCHAL.
VISIT TO CURRAL.
December 23rd.
LEAVE MADEIRA.
After a stay of eight days, we left Madeira for Rio de Janeiro, and
on January 2nd picked up the south-east trade wind, and passed
through the Cape de Verde Islands to the southward between Mayo
and St. Jago. Two days afterwards, in latitude 9 degrees 30
minutes North, and longitude 22 degrees 40 minutes West, a slight
momentary shock, supposed to be the effect of an earthquake, was
felt throughout the ship.
100 : 1 0.
200 : 2 5.
300 : 2 30.
400 : 3 35.
500 : 5 0.
600 : 6 15.
700 : 7 35.
800 : 9 0.
900 : 10 35.
1000 : 12 40.
1100 : 13 30.
1200 : 15 10.
1300 : 17 5.
1400 : 19 0.
1500 : 20 50.
1600 : 22 30.
1700 : 24 25.
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1800 : 26 30.
1900 : 29 10.
2000 : 31 0.
2100 : 32 55.
2200 : 35 0.
2300 : 36 55.
2400 : 38 40.
of our meridian distance between Madeira and Rio; this effect was
ascribed to the firing of shotted guns when exercising at general
quarters, a practice which in consequence was not afterwards
repeated.
RIO DE JANEIRO.
January 23rd.
I shall not soon forget my first view of the shores of the new world.
The morning was beautifully fine, and with a light breeze scarcely
sufficient to cause a ripple on the water, we were slipping past the
high and remarkable promontory of Cape Frio, which at first ap-
peared like an island. A long beach of glittering sand stretched
away to the westward, and was lost in the distance; behind this a
strip of undulating country, clad here and there in the richest
green, was backed by a range of distant wooded hills, on which
many clumps of palms could be distinguished. Few harbours in the
world present a more imposing entrance than that of Rio de
Janeiro. Several islands lie off the opening, and on either side the
coast range terminates in broken hills and ridges of granite, one of
which, Pao d'Acucar, the Sugarloaf of the English, rises at once
from near the water's edge to the height of 900 feet, as an appar-
ently inaccessible peak, and forms the well-known landmark for
the entrance.
relieved by the varied beauty of the suburbs and gardens, and the
numerous wooded eminences crowned by churches and other con-
spicuous public edifices. Beyond the city the harbour again widens
out to form an immense basin, studded with green islands, extend-
ing backwards some seventeen or eighteen miles further towards
the foot of the Organ Mountains, remarkable for their pinnacled
summits, the highest of which attains an elevation of 7800 feet
above the sea.
The harbour presented a busy scene from our anchorage. The wa-
ter was alive with small craft of every description, from the large
felucca-rigged boat down to the fishing canoe simply constructed
of a hollowed-out log, and steamers crowded with passengers plied
between the city and the opposite shore. The seabreeze died away,
and was succeeded by a sultry calm; after a short interval, the
grateful land wind, laden with sweet odours, advanced as a dark
line slowly stealing along the surface of the water, and the deep
boom of the evening gun echoing from hill to hill may be said ap-
propriately to have closed the scene.
The streets, which, with few exceptions, are very narrow, are paved
with large rough stones--they have usually a gutter in the centre,
and occasionally a narrow pavement on each side. For building
purposes, unhewn granite is chiefly used, the walls being after-
wards smoothed over with a layer of plaster, whitewashed, and
margined with yellow or blue. The two principal streets are the Rua
Direita, the widest in the city, and the principal scene of commer-
cial transactions, and the narrow Rua do Ouvidor, filled with
shops, many of which equal in the richness and variety of their
goods the most splendid establishments of European capitals. Of
these the most tempting, and the most dangerous to enter with a
well-filled purse, is the famous feather-flower manufactory of
Mme. Finot, where the gorgeous plumage of humming birds and
others of the feathered tribe is fabricated into wreaths and bou-
quets of all kinds. Although the absence of sewerage is everywhere
apparent, the town is well supplied with water from numerous
large fountains, filled by pipes from an aqueduct five or six miles in
length, communicating with the Corcovado mountain. One is
struck with the comparative absence of wheeled vehicles in the
streets of Rio. Now and then a clumsy caleche is driven past by a
negro postillion, in blue livery and jackboots, riding a second horse
yoked outside the shafts, and omnibuses drawn by four or six
mules, are not infrequently met with, and seem to be much
patronised.
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SLAVERY.
RELIGIOUS PROCESSIONS.
BRAZILIAN CHARACTER.
On February 2nd we sailed from Rio for the Cape of Good Hope.
The morning being calm, we were towed out by the boats of the
squadron until a light air, the precursor of the seabreeze, set in.
While hove-to outside the entrance, a haul of the dredge brought
up the rare Terebratula rosea, and a small shell of a new genus, al-
lied to Rissoa. The remainder of the day and part of the succeeding
one were spent in a fruitless search for a shoal said to exist in the
neighbourhood, to which Captain Stanley's attention had been
drawn by Captain Broughton, of H.M.S. Curacao.
At one P.M. of each day, when the weather was favourable, the ship
was hove-to for the purpose of obtaining observations on the tem-
perature of the water at considerable depths, under the superin-
tendence of Lieutenant Dayman. As these were continued during
our outward voyage as far as Van Diemen's Land, and the number
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BOAT CAPSIZED.
OCEANIC BIRDS.
PELAGIC ANIMALS.
The period of our stay at the Cape of Good Hope was devoted to the
construction of a chart of Simon's Bay and its neighbourhood,
which has since been incorporated with the previous survey of Cap-
tain Sir Edward Belcher in H.M.S. Samarang, and published
without acknowledgment. The requisite shore observations were
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SIMON'S TOWN.
CAFFRE WAR.
troops had been sent to the frontier; a party of bluejackets from the
flagship at one time performed garrison duty at Cape Town; the
emergency was so great that even some detachments of troops on
their way back to England after long service in India, having put in
at the Cape for refreshments, were detained and sent to Algoa Bay.
We were all heartily tired of Simon's Bay long before leaving it; not
the less so from having this all engrossing Caffre war dinned into
our ears from morning to night as an excuse for high prices, and
sometimes for extortions, which I had before supposed to be pecu-
liar to new colonies.
Captain Stanley remarks, that "The reef on the east side of the is-
land projects further than is laid down on the Admiralty chart, and
as from the prevalence of the south-east trade a current is con-
stantly setting to the westward, vessels approaching this part of the
island should be very cautious, even with a leading wind, not to get
too close in with the land until the passage between Gunner's and
Round Island is well under the lee. At night, also, the distance from
the land, when off the north-east end of the island, is very deceiv-
ing, as the plains of Pamplemousses are very low. The Rattlesnake,
in passing at night between the Gunner's Quoin and Flat Island,
experienced a strong set of nearly three miles an hour to the west-
ward, which at times is said to be much stronger, and partakes in
some measure of the nature of the tide."
ARRIVE AT MAURITIUS.
May 4th.
When I came upon deck I found that we had rounded the north
end of the island, and were beating up for Port Louis. It was a de-
lightful morning, with bright sunshine, smooth water, a gentle
trade wind, and an unclouded sky. The view was very beautiful,
and quite equalled my expectations, based, though they were, upon
the glowing descriptions of La Pierre. The extremes of the island
are low, but the centre is occupied by the partially wooded crest-
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PORT LOUIS.
VISIT TO PAMPLEMOUSSES.
May 16th.
Few passing visitors, like ourselves, leave the Isle of France without
performing a pilgrimage to Pamplemousses, a pretty village seven
miles distant, near which are the (so-called) tombs of Paul and Vir-
ginia, and the Botanic Gardens. For this purpose--as we sail the
day after tomorrow, I started at daylight. The road, even at this
early hour, was crowded with people--Coolies, Chinamen, Negroes,
and others, bringing in their produce to market, while every now
and then a carriage passed by filled with well-dressed Creoles en-
joying the coolness of the morning air, or bent upon making a holi-
day of it, for the day was Sunday. I breakfasted in one of the nu-
merous cabarets by the roadside, dignified with the name of Hotel
de ----, etc. Numerous small streams crossed the road, and the
country, so far as seen, exhibited a refreshing greenness and rich-
ness of vegetation.
BOTANICAL GARDENS.
The Botanical Gardens are close to the church. Among the plants
are some magnificent sago palms, almost rivalling those I had seen
in New Guinea, during the voyage of the Fly,* and many clove and
nutmeg trees, the cultivation of which in the island it had been the
intention of Government to introduce. Here are some very fine
shady walks with ponds of water and rivulets, but although these
cool retreats are admirably adapted for solitary rambles and the
holding of merry picnic parties, I found with regret that the title of
botanical had misled me.
LA POUCE MOUNTAIN.
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A narrow path, difficult to find among the long grass, leads to the
summit of the mountain, 2600 feet above the level of the sea. The
view from the top embraces the greater part of this fine island. The
coral reef fringing the shores is well seen--the pale green of the
shoal water is separated from the deep blue of the ocean by a line
of snow-white surf.
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THE CEMETERY.
LEAVE MAURITIUS.
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During our stay at Port Louis, Captain Stanley had complied with a
requisition from the Commissariat to take some specie to Hobart
Town, consequently his previous intention of proceeding to
Sydney, by way of King George Sound, was abandoned.
100 : 0 0 42.
200 : 0 1 49.
300 : 0 3 3.
400 : 0 4 23.
500 : 0 5 57.
600 : 0 7 39.
700 : 0 9 30.
800 : 0 11 22.
900 : 0 13 20.
1000 : 0 15 19.
1100 : 0 17 35.
1200 : 0 19 44.
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1300 : 0 21 38.
1400 : 0 24 15.
1500 : 0 26 47.
1600 : 0 29 32.
1700 : 0 32 17.
1800 : 0 35 2.
1900 : 0 38 11.
2000 : 0 41 5.
2100 : 0 44 3.
2200 : 0 47 38.
2300 : 0 50 47.
2400 : 0 53 57.
2500 : 0 57 6.
2600 : 1 0 51.
2700 : 1 6 15.
2800 : 1 12 25.
2900 : 1 20 27.
3000 : 1 26 34.
3100 : 1 32 45.
3200 : 1 39 49.
3300 : 1 45 37.
3400 : 1 52 47.
3500 : 1 59 56.
CHAPTER 1.2.
Arrive at Sydney.
Bramble is attached to the Expedition.
Survey Entrance of Port Jackson and Twofold Bay.
Sail upon our First Northern Cruise.
Arrive at Moreton Bay.
Proceedings there.
Natives at Moreton Island.
Arrive at Port Curtis.
Settlement of North Australia.
Excursions made in Neighbourhood.
Natural Productions.
Call at the Percy Isles.
Port Molle and Cape Upstart.
Unable to find Fresh Water.
Return to Sydney.
Recent Occurrences there.
Sail for Bass Strait.
Visit Port Phillip and Port Dalrymple.
Inspect the Lighthouses of the Strait.
We left Hobart Town for Sydney on July 8th. On the night of the
15th, saw the fine revolving light on the South Head of Port Jack-
son, and next morning anchored at Farm Cove. Our stay in Sydney
was protracted to a period of nearly three months. During this
time, in consequence of previous arrangements, the schooners
Bramble, Lieutenant C.B. Yule, and Castlereagh, Lieutenant D.
Aird, were paid off. Both these vessels had been left in December,
1845, by Captain F.P. Blackwood, of H.M.S. Fly, to continue the
survey of New Guinea (as will afterwards be more particularly al-
luded to) and had long been awaiting our arrival. The Castlereagh,
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October 11th.
evening, and was added to the collection; for even the beauty and
innocence of a tired wanderer like it was insufficient to save it from
the scalpel.
shifting, and the channel is intricate. When to this is added that the
settlement--consisting of the townships of North and South Bris-
bane, and Kangaroo Point, is situated 14 miles from the river
mouth--it was not surprising that a proposal had been made to es-
tablish a trading port elsewhere in the bay, so that the wool and
other produce of the district, might be shipped direct for England.
PROCEEDINGS THERE.
For this purpose, Cleveland Point (at the south-east side of the bay)
had been suggested, and the Colonial Government requested Cap-
tain Stanley's opinion on the subject: which is as follows. "This,"
says he, "is the worst possible place I ever saw for such a purpose;
from the proposed site of the town, a low rocky point only a few
feet above the level of high-water, projects for more than a mile in
the sea; and from both sides of this, mudflats, that become dry at
low-water, extend for a very considerable distance. The anchorage
off this point must be of necessity in the stream of tide, which,
when it sets against even a moderate breeze, causes a heavy sea.
And as the point affords no shelter whatever for boats, it will be ab-
solutely necessary to build a breakwater, at least as far out as three
fathoms at low-water."
MORETON ISLAND.
Moreton Island, under the lee of which the Rattlesnake was at an-
chor, is 19 miles in length, and 4 1/2 in greatest breadth. It consists
for the most part of series of sandhills, one of which, Mount Tem-
pest, is said to be 910 feet in height; on the north-west portion a
large tract of low ground, mostly swampy, with several lagoons and
small streams. The soil is poor, and the grass usually coarse and
sedge-like. All the timber is small, and consists of the usual Euca-
lypti, Banksiae, etc. with abundance of the cypress-pine (Callitris
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Among the marine animals of Moreton Bay are two cetacea of great
interest. The first of these is the Australian dugong (Halicore aus-
tralis), which is the object of a regular fishery (on a small scale
however) on account of its valuable oil. It frequents the Brisbane
river and the mudflats of the harbour, and is harpooned by the nat-
ives, who know it under the name of Yung-un. The other is an un-
described porpoise, a specimen of which, however, I did not pro-
cure, as the natives believed the most direful consequences would
ensue from the destruction of one; and I considered the advantages
resulting to science from the addition of a new species of
Phocoena, would not have justified me in outraging their strongly
expressed superstitious feelings on the subject. We observed that
whenever a drove of these porpoises came close inshore, a party of
natives followed them along the beach, and when a shoal of fish,
endeavouring to avoid their natural enemies, approached within
reach, the blacks rushed out into the water with loud cries, and,
keeping their bag nets close together, so as to form a semicircle,
scooped out as many fish as came within reach.
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Our seining parties from the ship were usually very successful, but
only at one particular time of tide, or during the young flood.
Sharks are numerous close to the beach, but are generally small
and harmless; one of the natives however had lost his foot at the
ankle joint, from the bite of one.
NATIVES.
November 4th.
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Sailed from Moreton Bay for Port Curtis in company with the
Bramble. The wind being at north, we had to beat out through the
narrow channel leading between the banks of the north entrance,
probably never before attempted by a square-rigged vessel.
PORT CURTIS.
The extent of land fit for agriculture, within a few miles of the
coast, far exceeds the expectations I had formed on my first visit.
Timber for dwelling-houses and for shipbuilding is abundant, and
of the best description, and within five miles of South Shore Head
(the best site for a settlement) there is to be found pipeclay, brick-
earth, ironstone, freestone, granite, trap, slate, indications of coal;
and independent of a great supply of shells for lime on the immedi-
ate site, there is at the head of one of the navigable salt creeks a
fine freshwater stream running over a bed of limestone; a second
creek, in which the Lord Auckland of 600 tons, is hove down, also
navigable for ten or twelve miles, terminates in extensive water-
holes; indeed within the port there are four inlets or creeks, navig-
able from ten to fifteen miles for vessels drawing eight or nine feet
of water, each terminating in fresh water.
The position and extent of Port Curtis, which I take to be the third
harbour in importance in these seas, inferior only to Port Jackson
and Hobart Town, must shortly lead to an establishment on its
shore, offering security to numerous whaling vessels, which are
now compelled to proceed to Sydney for repairs and supplies; it
must also become an important depot for supplying steamers on
passage to India with coal, which I have reason to believe will be
found in abundance within a few miles of the coast. I have no
doubt also that this port will become celebrated for shipbuilding,
possessing, as it does, timber of the highest quality for such pur-
poses, and favourable positions for building, as well as for the con-
struction of docks.
not only with a view to the supply of the projected settlement, but
also to the shipment of wool, tallow, etc. direct to England.
A few days after our arrival at Port Curtis, the Asp, as our decked
boat had been named, joined us, having made an important addi-
tion to the surveys of this portion of the coast. On his passage up
from Brisbane, Lieutenant Dayman, under the unexpected circum-
stances of finding that the Rattlesnake had sailed, instead of coast-
ing along the eastern side of Great Sandy Island, thus involving the
necessity of rounding Breaksea Spit, determined upon trying the
passage between that island and the mainland leading into Hervey
Bay; this he fortunately succeeded in accomplishing, although un-
der difficulties which his sketch (since published by the Admiralty)
will lessen to those who may require to use the same previously
little known channel.
FACING ISLAND.
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superciliosa, the black duck of the colonists, the richest and best
flavoured of all the Australian waterfowl, and A. punctata, or teal,
we had them cooked bush fashion, for supper. The night being fine,
we enjoyed our bivouac upon the top of a sandhill, near the sea, by
the side of a dead Pandanus, which served as firewood--although it
was judged expedient to keep watch by turns, and go the rounds
occasionally, especially after the setting of the moon and before
daybreak. We saw no recent signs of natives, however, during our
absence from the ship; but former experience upon this coast had
taught me how necessary it is to be ever on one's guard, even in ap-
parently uninhabited places; and such watchfulness soon becomes
habitual, and at length ceases to be irksome. Next day we returned
to the ship, more than ever convinced of the comparative useless-
ness of the country which we had gone over for agricultural or even
pastoral purposes, except on a very small scale. On our way back
we met with two horses, both in good condition, which had been
left by Colonel Barney's party.
GLADSTONE SETTLEMENT.
November 29th.
Sailed from Port Curtis for the northward, in company with the
Asp, the Bramble being sent to Moreton Bay in order to communic-
ate the results of the survey to the Colonial Government, and rejoin
us at Cape Upstart. For the next two days light northerly winds
prevailed, after which we had the wind from about East-South-
East.
PERCY ISLES.
December 3rd.
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The Asp having made a signal for assistance, and it being ascer-
tained that she had lost her dinghy and bumpkin by a sea which
struck her while crossing a tide-race, it was judged necessary to run
for the nearest place where the damage could be repaired. We con-
sequently anchored under Number 2 of the Percy Isles, to leeward
of its south-west point, in 10 fathoms, mud, between it and the
Pine Islets of the chart.
This is the largest of the Percy Isles, being about twelve or fourteen
miles in circumference. In structure, it may be said to consist of a
series of hills running in ridges, many of them covered with
gumtree scrub; and all with long grass growing in tufts, concealing
the loose stones, and rendering walking very laborious. On the
western side of the island, about a mile from the anchorage, the sea
communicates, by a narrow entrance, with a large basin partially
blocked up with mangroves, among which a creek filled at high-wa-
ter, runs up for a mile. At the head of this hollow a deeply worn
dried up watercourse indicated the periodical abundance of fresh
water; and by tracing it up about a mile further, I found many large
pools among the rocks containing a sufficient supply for the ship,
but unavailable to us in consequence of the difficulty in getting at
it. Signs of natives were frequently met with, but none were recent.
From the quantities of turtle-bones about the fireplaces, it is evid-
ent that these animals occasionally resort to a small sandy beach
near the entrance of the basin above alluded to.
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BUSH FIRE.
During our stay, the bush was thoughtlessly set on fire by some of
our people, and continued burning for several days, until nearly
the whole island had been passed over; the long dry grass and dead
trees blazing very fiercely under the influence of a high wind. At
night the sight of the burning scrub was very fine when viewed
from a distance, but I did not forget that I had one day been much
closer to it than was pleasant--in fact, it was only by first soaking
my clothes in a pool among the rocks, emptying the contents of my
powder-flask to prevent the risk of being blown up, and then mak-
ing a desperate rush through a belt of burning scrub, that I suc-
ceeded in reaching a place of safety.
During our stay of two days, search was made for water in every
likely spot, but none could be found. In the dried up beds of three
shallow lagoons (one of which I had seen half filled four years be-
fore) we found native wells, one dug to the depth of six feet, but the
water had disappeared.
PORT MOLLE.
Port Molle, besides being a well sheltered harbour from all prevail-
ing winds, has a much more pleasing aspect than almost any place
I have seen on the north-east coast of Australia. To ourselves the
change was agreeable; instead of the monotonous gumtrees and
mangroves of Port Curtis and the scantily wooded stony hills of the
Percy Isles, we had here many varieties of woodland vegetation, in-
cluding some large patches of dense brush or jungle, in which one
might observe every shade of green from the sombre hue of the
pine, to the pale green of the cabbage-palm.
December 10th.
RETURN TO SYDNEY.
December 15th.
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Three days ago we sailed for Cape Upstart on our return to the
southward, working down the coast against a strong tradewind, the
Asp keeping in shore to survey the neighbourhood of the coastline,
imperfectly and erroneously laid down upon the Admiralty chart.
We had calms and light winds with thick rainy weather in the
morning. While in Whitsunday Passage, a small bark canoe with
two natives came off to within a quarter of a mile of the ship,
shouting loudly and making gestures to attract attention, but we
did not stop; in fact, every moment now was precious, as we were
upon reduced allowance of water. Soon after noon we anchored in
Port Molle, and next day the Asp was stripped and hoisted inboard.
December 21st.
Since we left Port Molle, the winds have been variable from the
northward and eastward, with calms, and the weather quite un-
settled with occasional rain. While nearly becalmed, several oppor-
tunities were afforded for dredging from the ship, and many new
and curious marine animals were procured.
KEPPEL'S ISLE.
ARRIVE AT SYDNEY.
During our absence from Sydney, and since our arrival, some
events of great importance to the colony had occurred. Public at-
tention had been strongly directed towards the question of Steam
Communication with India and England, the facilitating of which
was one of the principal objects of the Voyage of the Rattlesnake.*
Meetings to discuss the practicability of forming railroads** had
also been held. Dr. Leichhardt, the well-known, indefatigable trav-
eller, had started with a party to attempt to traverse the Continent
of Australia, and reach Swan River--and Mr. Kennedy had returned
from tracing the Victoria River of Sir Thomas Mitchell, which he
found to become lost in the stony desert of Sturt, instead of disem-
boguing into the head of the Gulf of Carpentaria, as some had
conjectured.
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Finding that there was yet some time to spare before the arrival of
the usual period for leaving Sydney to pass through Torres Strait,
Captain Stanley resolved upon acting in accordance with the ex-
pressed wishes of the Colonial Government, that he should make
an inspection of the various lighthouses in Bass Strait, and for that
purpose sailed from Sydney on February 2nd, with the Rattlesnake
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and Bramble. The Asp and one of the galleys accompanied us as far
as Botany Bay, which they were to be employed in surveying during
our absence, under the orders of Lieutenant Simpson.
BASS STRAIT.
February 11th.
While standing off and on the land during a fog, a partial clearing
up showed the entrance to Port Phillip, with its lighthouse,* and
after passing through between the heads, with the usual strong tide
ripple, we reached the anchorage at Hobson's Bay after dark.
GEELONG.
PORT DALRYMPLE.
Five days after clearing the Heads of Port Phillip, we had crossed
Bass Strait,* and anchored in Port Dalrymple, on the northern
coast of Van Diemen's Land, and remained there sufficiently long
to obtain rates for the chronometers, and connect it by meridian
distance with William's Town, and Sydney.** The two lighthouses
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GOOSE ISLAND.
March 3rd.
SWAN ISLAND.
March 4th.
RETURN TO SYDNEY.
March 9th.
CHAPTER 1.3.
Sail on our Second Northern Cruise.
Entrance to the Inner Passage.
Arrive at Rockingham Bay.
Land Mr. Kennedy's Expedition.
Commence the Survey at Dunk Island.
Communication with Natives.
Barnard Isles.
Botanical Sketch.
Examine a New River.
Frankland Isles.
Find the Coconut Palm.
Fitzroy Island.
The Will-o-the-Wisp and her Story.
Trinity Bay.
Animals of a Coral Reef.
Stay at Lizard Island.
Howick, Pelican, and Claremont Isles.
Bird Isles.
Meet party of Natives in Distress.
Cairncross Island.
Arrive at Cape York.
April 29th.
The season for passing through Torres Strait from the southward
having arrived, we left Port Jackson on a ten-months cruise, in or-
der to complete the survey of the Inner Passage, or the clear chan-
nel between the north-east coast of Australia and the inner edge of
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the outer reefs, which again are bounded to seaward by the Great
Barrier Reef, stretching from north to south, for a distance of up-
wards of 1000 miles.
For the first nine days we averaged only thirty miles a day, owing
to a long continuance of calms and light winds with a strong ad-
verse current, which on one occasion set us to East-South-East
fifty-three miles in twenty-four hours. At length, on May 8th we
picked up a strong southerly breeze, accompanied by a northerly
set. On May 12th we rounded Breaksea Spit, and Captain Stanley
finding his original intention of passing inside of Lady Elliot's Is-
land impracticable, or at least involving unnecessary delay, de-
termined to bear up North-West by West keeping outside of the
Bunker and Capricorn Groups, and try the channel previously
passed through by Captain F.P. Blackwood in H.M.S. Fly. Captain
Stanley's remarks on this subject are so important, that I give them
verbatim:
fathoms, till we came to the soundings laid down by the Fly, which
we found to agree almost exactly with ours.
May 15th.
After having at daylight sighted the land about Port Bowen and
Cape Townshend, we passed the Northumberland and Percy Isles
to the westward, the water being very smooth with light airs from
South to East-North-East. A very offensive smell which has been
experienced in the after part of the ship for a week back, was today
traced to some preserved meats prepared in Sydney; 1036 pounds
of these being found quite putrid were condemned.*
CAPE UPSTART.
May 19th.
At length, after several days of light and contrary winds, the wind
came round to South-East and assumed the appearance of the
trade, which we had at last picked up. We ran round the north-east
end of the Cumberland Islands, passed Cape Gloucester, and in the
evening anchored under Cape Upstart in our former berth.
GOOLD ISLAND.
May 21st.
The natives, a small party of whom were here, have had frequent
intercourse with Europeans, and indeed the sight alongside the
ship of eight canoes, four of which carried two unarmed men, and
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the others one each, would of itself, to most people, have been a
convincing proof of a friendly disposition. That such apparent de-
sire to be on friendly terms might often mislead strangers, is not to
be wondered at. Yet these same people, a few years ago, made a
sudden and most wanton attack upon a seining party belonging to
H.M.S. Fly, and shortly after we left them, they attempted to cut off
a small vessel which had called there for water.
The small granite island (one of the Family Group) off which we
were anchored, afforded little of interest to us. Fresh water was
found in small quantities, not available, however, for the use of
vessels. The most curious production of the island is an undes-
cribed plant of the singular family Balanophoraceae, not before
known as Australian, which was found here in abundance in the
gloomy brushes, parasitic upon the roots of the tallest trees. We
also met with here--in probably its southern limit upon the coast--
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May 26th.
During the forenoon, the ship was moved over to an anchorage un-
der the lee (North-West side) of Dunk Island, where we remained
for ten days. The survey of the coastline and Inner Passage to the
northward was here commenced, and afterwards continued up to
Torres Strait, by an unbroken series of triangulation; it included a
space varying in width from 5 to 15 miles, extending through 7 1/2
degrees of latitude and 4 1/2 of longitude, with a coastline of up-
wards of 600 miles.
the lines run by Captain P.P. King, and marked upon his charts.
The available boats permanently attached to the ship, were em-
ployed under various officers in the neighbourhood of the different
anchorages, cutting up the ground, and filling up any gaps which
might otherwise have been left in the new charts.
The seine was frequently hauled upon the beach with great
success--one evening, through its means, in addition to plenty of
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Among the plants of the island the most important is a wild species
of plantain or banana, afterwards found to range along the North-
East coast and its islands as far as Cape York. Here I saw for the
first time a species of Sciadophyllum, one of the most singular
trees of the eastern coastline of tropical Australia; a slender stem,
about thirty feet in height, gives off a few branches with immense
digitate dark and glossy leaves and long spike-like racemes of small
scarlet flowers, a great resort for insects and insect-feeding birds.
Soon after the ship had come to an anchor, some natives came off
in their canoes and paid us a visit, bringing with them a quantity of
shellfish (Sanguinolaria rugosa) which they eagerly exchanged for
biscuit. For a few days afterwards we occasionally met them on the
beach, but at length they disappeared altogether, in consequence of
having been fired at with shot by one of two of the young gentle-
men of the Bramble, on a shooting excursion, whom they wished to
prevent from approaching too closely a small village, where they
had their wives and children. Immediate steps were taken, in con-
sequence, to prevent the recurrence of such collisions, when
thoughtless curiosity on one side is apt to be promptly resented on
the other, if numerically superior in force. I saw nothing in the ap-
pearance of these natives to distinguish them from those of Goold
Island, and the canoes are the same. The men had large prominent
cicatrices on the shoulders, and across the breast and belly, the
septum of the nose was perforated, and none of the teeth had been
removed. I saw no weapons, and some rude armlets were their only
ornaments.
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VICTORIA RIFLE-BIRD.
One day I crossed over to the mainland in a boat sent for the pur-
pose of examining a small river seen there to open upon a long
sandy beach. We found a depth of four feet on the bar at low-water,
so had no difficulty in entering--at a quarter of a mile from the
mouth the water was quite fresh. We ascended about two miles and
a half, when it became necessary to return on account of the shoal-
ness of the stream, the boat* having grounded repeatedly. A party
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NATIVE VILLAGE.
Near the mouth we again landed for half an hour, and found a
cluster of three or four dome-shaped huts, large and roomy, of neat
construction, covered with sheets of melaleuca bark, and having
one, sometimes two entrances. Some fishing nets, similar to those
used at Moreton Bay, were seen. The men retired into the bush
when we landed, nor would they come out to me when I advanced
alone towards them, in order to look at the huts. We anchored for
the night under Number 1 of the Barnard Isles. Megapodii were
here very plentiful, and about daylight very noisy, running about in
all directions, repeating their loud call of chro-co--chro-co. Some of
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Near this place, while tacking close in shore, a native dog was seen
by Lieutenant Simpson, in chase of a small kangaroo, which, on be-
ing close pressed, plunged into the water and swam out to sea,
when it was picked up by the boat, leaving its pursuer standing on
a rock gazing wistfully at its intended prey, until a musket ball,
which went very near its mark, sent it off at a trot. The kangaroo
lived on board for a few days, and proved to constitute quite a new
kind, closely allied to Halmaturus thetidis.
FRANKLAND ISLES.
SHELL-COLLECTING.
The Torres Strait rat was exceedingly plentiful here, in hollow trees
and logs, also about the roots of the pandanus trees and under
blocks of coral. Our dogs caught many, as they do not show so
much agility as is usual in the genus. The principal bird is the
megapodius--a gecko, and another small lizard are abundant--of
landshells we found a new Scarabus and a small brown Helix, in
great abundance under blocks of coral, and on the trunks and
branches of trees, a pretty Cyclostoma (C. vitreum) formerly found
by the French in New Caledonia, also a new and pretty Helix, re-
markable for its angular sinuated mouth and conical spire--this
last has been named H. macgillivrayi by Professor E. Forbes. The
reef furnished many radiata and crustacea, and as usual the shell
collectors--consisting of about one-half the ship's company, reaped
a rich harvest of cowries, cones, and spider shells, amounting to
several hundredweight. One day I was much amused when, on
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hailing one of our men whom I observed perched up among the top
branches of a tree, and asking whether it was a nest that he had
found, the answer returned was: "Oh no, Sir, its these geotrochuses
that I am after."
FITZROY ISLAND.
June 20th.
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June 26th.
A party left before daylight in the pinnace and first galley, to exam-
ine an opening in Trinity Bay, marked upon King's chart. We found
it to present the appearance of a wide creek running through low
mangrove swamps, and with the eye could trace its windings for
the distance of two or three miles. In all probability this is the em-
bouchure of a considerable freshwater stream, but the shallowness
of the head of the bay and the usual bar off the mouth of the sup-
posed river, determined Captain Stanley to return to the ship, as
the time which would otherwise have been spent in exploring a
useless creek might be devoted to some better purpose.
CROCODILES.
June 29th.
July 3rd.
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LOW ISLES.
HOPE ISLANDS.
July 19th.
Six days ago we anchored under the lee of the reef on which the
Hope Islands are situated, but in a position which afforded little
shelter. While off Cape Tribulation, a remarkable hill in the back-
ground so strongly reminded us of the Peter Botte at Mauritius,
that it was so named upon our chart--it is 3,311 feet in height, the
Cape itself being 1,454 feet. For about six days lately the weather
has been very boisterous, blowing hard from East-South-East with
a considerable sea.
THREE ISLES.
July 28th.
Anchored under the Three Isles, between Capes Bedford and Flat-
tery. The principal one of the group, situated to leeward of an ex-
tensive reef, is margined towards the reef by beds of coral--con-
glomerate, and elsewhere by a sandy beach--it is half a mile in
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length, composed of coral sand, the highest part not more than
twelve feet above high-water mark, with several groves of low trees,
and is overrun with tall sedge-like grass; the second is composed of
a strip of heaped-up fragments of coral, to windward covered with
bushes, and to leeward separated from the reef by a belt of man-
groves; the third is a mere clump of mangroves not deserving of
further notice. The botany of an island of this class, of which there
are many on the North-east coast of Australia, may serve as a spe-
cimen, as the plants are few. Mimusops kaukii constituted the
principal part of the arboreal vegetation, Clerodendrum inerme
and Premna obtusifolia form low straggling thickets--scattered
bushes of Suriana maritima and Pemphis acida fringe the sandy
margin of the island, and behind these the beautiful Josephinia
grandiflora, a large white-flowered Calyptranthus, Vitex ovata and
a Tribulus creep along the sand, or spread out their procumbent
branches.
Traces of natives, but not very recent, were met with in a dried-up
well dug to a great depth, and several low, dome-shaped huts, and
numerous fireplaces, around which remains of shellfish and turtles
were profusely scattered. Many of the heads of these last animals
were here and elsewhere seen stuck upon branches of trees, some-
times a dozen together.
July 31st.
I landed this morning with Mr. Obree, on one of the Two Isles off
Cape Flattery, and we were picked up by the ship in passing. It is
well-wooded, chiefly with the Mimusops kaukii, trees of which are
here often sixty feet high and 3 in diameter. Under the bark I found
two new land-shells (to be described in the Appendix) one of them
a flattish Helix, in prodigious numbers--and this more than ever
satisfied me that even the smallest islands and detached reefs of
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Of quail, which in 1844 were very abundant, I saw not more than
one or two--probably the burning of the grass during the breeding
season had effected this partial clearance. Snakes appear to be
numerous--two out of three which I examined were poisonous--the
other was the diamond snake of New South Wales. A very fine land
shell, Helix bipartita, was found in colonies at the roots of the trees
and bushes. A large and handsome cowrie, Cypraea mauritiana,
generally distributed among the islands of the Pacific, was here
found for the first time in Australia.
EAGLE ISLAND.
August 1st.
I crossed over to Eagle Island with Mr. Brown, and spent a day and
night there. This place was so named by Cook, who states in ex-
planation of the name--"We found here the nest of some other
bird, we know not what, of a most enormous size. It was built with
sticks upon the ground, and was no less than 26 feet in circumfer-
ence, and two feet eight inches high."* An American professor**
conjectures the above nest to have possibly been that of the Din-
ornis, the gigantic New Zealand bird, known only by its fossil re-
mains. A very slight knowledge, however, of ornithology, would be
sufficient to confute the notion of any struthious bird constructing
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HOWICK ISLES.
August 14th.
CAPE MELVILLE.
August 21st.
PELICAN ISLAND.
August 28th.
others which had come up to lay escaped detection from the dark-
ness of the night.
CLAREMONT GROUP.
NIGHT ISLAND.
SHERRARD ISLES.
and maritime plants, with a few bushes; the other is only 30 yards
across, and is covered by a clump of small trees of Pemphis acida
and Suriana maritima, appearing at a distance like mangroves.
A small low wooded islet off Cape Direction, where I landed for a
few hours, was found to be composed entirely of dead coral with
thickets of mangrove and other bushes, and presented no feature
worthy of further notice. We were detained at an anchorage near
Cape Weymouth for seven days by the haziness of the weather,
which obscured distant points essential to the connexion of the
survey.
PIPER ISLETS.
After having anchored once for the night under the lee of reef e of
King's chart--one of the most extensive we had hitherto seen, being
fourteen miles in length--on September 26th, the ship anchored
under the largest of the Piper Islets.
This group consists of four low bushy and wooded islets, situated
on two reefs separated by a deep channel. The larger of the two on
the south-eastern reef, off which the ship lay, is about half a mile in
circumference. The trees are chiefly a kind of Erythrina, conspicu-
ous from its light-coloured trunk and leafless branches; one of the
most abundant plants is a Capparis, with long drooping branches,
occasionally assisted by a Cissus and a Melotria, in forming small
shady harbours. In the evening, vast numbers of white pigeons
came over from the mainland to roost, and of course, all the
fowling-pieces were put in requisition. Some deep pits dug in the
centre of the island were perfectly dry, and are probably so during
the latter half of the dry season, or after the month of July. On this
island we observed the remains of a small establishment for curing
trepang--a large seaslug found on the reefs and in shoal water,
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YOUNG ISLAND.
September 28th.
September 29th.
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BIRD ISLES.
A few days afterwards we ran down to the Bird Isles, and anchored.
They are three low, wooded islets, one detached from the other
two, which are situated on the margin of a circular reef.
NATIVES IN DISTRESS.
On this island the principal trees are the leafless Erythrina, with
waxy, pink flowers. Great numbers of pigeons resorted here to
roost. I found here a large colony of that rare and beautiful tern,
Sterna melanauchen, and mixed up with them a few individuals of
the still rarer Sterna gracilis.
CAIRNCROSS ISLAND.
CHAPTER 1.4.
Water the Ship.
Vessel with Supplies arrives.
Natives at Cape York.
Description of the Country and its Productions.
Port Albany considered as a Depot for Steamers.
Sail from Cape York and arrive at Port Essington.
Condition of the Place.
History of the Settlement.
Would be useless as a Colony.
Aborigines.
Leave Port Essington.
Arrive at Sydney.
Shortly after our arrival at Cape York, the two sets of old wells, dug
by the Fly, were cleared out, and we completed water to seventy-
five tons. These wells are situated immediately behind the sandy
beach--they are merely pits into which the fresh water, with which
the ground had become saturated during the rainy season, oozes
through the sand, having undergone a kind of filtration. At times a
little surf gets up on the shore, but never, during our stay of three
weeks, was it sufficient to interrupt the watering.
While the ship remained at Cape York, the Bramble, Asp, pinnace,
and our second cutter, were engaged, under their respective of-
ficers, in the survey of Endeavour Strait and the Prince of Wales
Channel, which they finished before we left, thus completing the
survey of the Inner Route between Dunk and Booby Islands. Previ-
ous to leaving for that purpose, the pinnace had been sent to Booby
Island, for letters in the post office there, and some of us had the
good fortune to receive communications from our friends in
Sydney, which had been left by vessels passing through. Most
passing vessels heave-to off the island for an hour, the dangers of
Torres Strait having been passed, and record their names, etc. in
the logbook kept there, and by it we found, that with one exception,
all this season had taken the Outer Passage, and most of them had
entered at Raine's Islet, guided by the beacon erected there in
1844, by Captain F.P. Blackwood, of H.M.S. Fly, thus demonstrat-
ing the superior merits of this passage over the other openings in
the Barrier Reef, and the accuracy of the Fly's survey.
of bread, peas, and lime juice, and two cases of scurvy had ap-
peared among the crew.
KENNEDY'S EXPEDITION.
It had been arranged that Mr. Kennedy with his expedition should,
if possible, be at Cape York in the beginning of October to commu-
nicate with us, and receive such supplies and assistance as might
be required; but the month passed away without bringing any signs
of his being in the neighbourhood. During our progress along the
coast a good lookout had been kept for his preconcerted signal--
three fires in a line, the central one largest--and bushfires which on
two occasions at night assumed somewhat of that appearance had
been answered, as agreed on, by rockets sent up at 8 P.M., none of
which however were returned. A schooner from Sydney arrived on
the 27th with two additions to his party, including a surgeon, also
supplies, consisting chiefly of sheep, with instructions from the Co-
lonial Government to await at Port Albany the arrival of the exped-
ition. The livestock were landed by our boats on Albany Island,
where a sheep pen was constructed, and a well dug, but the water
was too brackish for use. A sufficient supply however had previ-
ously been found in a small cave not far off, where the schooner's
boat could easily reach it.
not observed here, nor had circumcision or any similar rite been
practised, as is the case in some parts of the continent. Among
these undoubted Australians were, as already mentioned, two or
three Papuans. They differed in appearance from the others in hav-
ing the skin of a much lighter colour--yellowish brown instead of
nearly black--the hair on the body woolly and growing in scattered
tufts, and that of the head also woolly and twisted into long strands
like those of a mop. On the right shoulder, and occasionally the left
also, they had a large complicated, oval scar, only slightly promin-
ent, and very neatly made.
The country in the immediate vicinity of Evans and Cape York Bays
consists of low wooded hills alternating with small valleys and
plains of greater extent. The coastline, when not consisting of rocky
headlands, is either a sandy beach, or is fringed with mangroves.
Behind this, where the country is flat, there is usually a narrow belt
of dense brush or jungle. In the valleys, one finds what in the
colony of New South Wales would be termed open forest land,
characterised by scattered eucalypti and other trees, and a scanty
covering of coarse sedge-like grass growing in tufts on a red clayey
soil, covered with nodules of ironstone and coarse quartzose sand.
As characteristics of this poor soil, the first objects to attract the at-
tention are the enormous pinnacled anthills of red clay and sand,
often with supporting buttresses. These singular structures, which
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One day I explored some caves in the sandstone cliffs at Port Al-
bany in quest of bats, and was fortunate enough to get quite a new
Rhinolophus or horseshoe bat. In one of the caves, which only ad-
mitted of entry on the hands and knees, these bats were so numer-
ous, and in such large clusters, that I secured no less than eleven at
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November 9th.
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Since leaving Booby Island, the weather has been fine with light
easterly winds, the westerly monsoon in these seas not usually set-
ting in until the month of December. We first made the land in the
neighbourhood of Cape Croker, and soon afterwards saw the
beacon on Point Smith. Entering Port Essington we ran up the har-
bour, and anchored off the settlement of Victoria early in the
afternoon.
1847:
Arrived by Freak: 2 officers, 6 men.
A sufficiency of fresh water not being found at this place it was de-
termined to proceed to Melville Island, where they arrived on the
30th, and commenced forming the settlement of Fort Dundas in
Apsley Strait. This settlement, however, after an existence of four
years, was abandoned on March 31st, 1829, in consequence of the
continued unfavourable accounts transmitted to the Home
Government. Hostilities with the natives had early commenced,
and several lives were lost on either side.
woman and two children. When the Bugis paid their annual visit to
the coast several prahus remained to fish for trepang under the
protection of the settlement. Of the healthiness of the place the
medical officer states: "There is no endemic disease here. The cli-
mate of the place surpasses every other as far as I know, which is
equally as near the equator; and were it not for the great height of
atmospheric temperature, I should consider this one of the best in
the world." However, two years after the foundation of the settle-
ment, when hostilities with the natives had ceased, and a friendly
intercourse had been established--when the Bugis had already
taken advantage of the protection of Europeans to carry on the tre-
pang fishery in the bay--when the reported unhealthiness of the
climate had never exhibited itself--in short when the settlement
had been brought into a flourishing state, orders were suddenly re-
ceived for its entire abandonment, which were carried into effect
on August 29th, 1829.
SETTLEMENT OF VICTORIA.
Yet the little settlement at Port Essington has not been altogether
useless. The knowledge of the existence of such a military post,
within a few days' sail of the islands in question, together with the
visits of Commander Stanley in the Britomart, had completely pre-
vented a repetition of the outrages formerly committed upon
European trading vessels at the various islands of the group ex-
tending between Timor and New Guinea. The crews and passen-
gers of various vessels wrecked in Torres Strait had frequently
found in Port Essington a place of shelter, after six hundred miles
and more of boat navigation, combined with the difficulty of de-
termining the entrance, owing to the lowness of the land there-
abouts, which might easily be passed in the night, or even during
the day, if distant more than ten or twelve miles. I have myself
been a witness to the providential relief and extreme hospitality af-
forded there to such unfortunates. Still, as a harbour of refuge, it is
obvious that Cape York is the most suitable place, situated as it is
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The natives of the Cobourg Peninsula are divided into four tribes,
named respectively the Bijenelumbo, Limbakarajia, Limbapyu, and
Terrutong. The first of these occupies the head of the harbour (in-
cluding the ground on which the settlement is built) and the coun-
try as far back as the isthmus--the second, both sides of the port
lower down--the third, the north-west portion of the peninsula--
and the last have possession of Croker's Island, and the adjacent
coasts of the mainland. From the constant intercourse which takes
place between these tribes, their affinity of language, and similarity
in physical character, manners, and customs, they may be spoken
of as one.
on the shoulders and across the chest, abdomen, and buttocks, and
outside of the thighs. No clothing is at any time worn by these
people, and their ornaments are few in number. These last consist
chiefly of wristlets of the fibres of a plant--and armlets of the same,
wound round with cordage, are in nearly universal use. Necklaces
of fragments of reed strung on a thread, or of cordage passing un-
der the arms and crossed over the back, and girdles of finely twis-
ted human hair, are occasionally worn by both sexes and the men
sometimes add a tassel of the hair of the possum or flying squirrel,
suspended in front. A piece of stick or bone thrust into the perfora-
tion in the nose completes the costume. Like the other Australians,
the Port Essington blacks are fond of painting themselves with red,
yellow, white, and black, in different styles, considered appropriate
to dancing, fighting, mourning, etc.
The aboriginal weapons are clubs and spears--of the latter the vari-
ety is very great, there being at least fourteen distinct kinds. Their
clubs are three in number, made of the tough heavy wood called
wallaru, a kind of gumtree, the ironbark of New South Wales; one
is cylindrical, four feet long, tapering at each extremity; the other
two, of similar length, are compressed, with sharp edges--one nar-
row, the other about four inches in greatest width, and resembling
a cricket-bat in shape. These weapons on account of their great
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weight are used only at close quarters, and are never thrown like
the waddy of New South Wales. The spears of the Port Essington
natives may be divided into two classes--first, those thrown with
the hand alone, and second, those propelled by the additional
powerful leverage afforded by the throwing-stick. The hand-spears
are made entirely of wood, generally the wallaroo, in one or two
pieces, plain at the point or variously toothed and barbed; a small
light spear of the latter description is sometimes thrown with a
short cylindrical stick ornamented at one end with a large bunch of
twisted human hair. The spears of the second class are shafted with
reed. The smallest, which is no bigger than an arrow, is propelled
by a large flat and supple throwing-stick to a great distance, but not
with much precision. Of the larger ones (from eight to twelve feet
in length) the two most remarkable are headed with a pointed,
sharp-edged, flatly-triangular piece of quartz or fine-grained
basalt, procured from the mountains beyond the isthmus. These
large reed-shafted spears are thrown with a stiff flat throwing-stick
a yard long, and with pretty certain effect within sixty paces.
ARTICLES OF FOOD.
BURIAL CEREMONIES.
On the death of any one of the natives, the relatives give utterance
to their grief in loud cries, sobs, and shrieks, continued to exhaus-
tion. Some cut their bodies and tear their hair, and the women
paint their faces with broad white bands. The body is watched by
night, and the appearance of the first falling-star is hailed with
loud shouts and waving of fire-brands, to drive off the yumburbar,
an evil spirit which is the cause of all deaths and other calamities,
and feeds on the entrails of the newly dead. When decomposition
has gone on sufficiently far, the bones are carefully removed,
painted red, wrapped up in bark, and carried about with the tribe
for some time; after which they are finally deposited, either in a
hollow tree or a shallow grave, over which a low mound of earth
and stones is raised, occasionally ornamented with posts at the
corners. I was unable to find out what circumstances determine the
mode of burial in each case; neither differences of sex, age, or class
are sufficient, as several natives whom I questioned told me which
of the two kinds of burial his or her body would receive, without
being able to assign any reason. Their reverence for the dead is
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probably not very great, as even a relative of the deceased will sell
the skull or skeleton for a small consideration, on condition of the
matter being kept a secret.
SUPERSTITIONS.
AND INSTITUTIONS.
way. Yet very few of these principal men are of the highest class,
the manjerojelle--the middle is termed manjerawule--and the low-
est manbulget, but I could not succeed in making out what priv-
ileges, if any, are enjoyed by the superior classes. The members of
all three appeared to be upon a perfect equality.
punishment was considered too severe for the offence, it was fi-
nally determined, that, upon Munjerrijo's recovery, the two natives
who had wounded him should offer their heads to him to be struck
with a club, the usual way, it would appear, of settling such
matters.
Like the other Australian tribes, those of Port Essington are fre-
quently at feud with their neighbours, and quarrels sometimes last
for years, or, if settled, are apt to break out afresh. In these cases
the lex talionis is the only recognised one. I may give an example.
future. I was glad then when Lieutenant Yule, who was about to re-
visit Port Essington, generously offered to take him there--while in
the Bramble he made himself useful in assisting the steward, and,
under the tuition of Dr. MacClatchie, made some proficiency in ac-
quiring the rudiments of reading and writing. At Port Essington,
the older members of his family evinced much jealousy on account
of the attention shown him, and his determination to remain with
Mr. Tilston, the assistant-surgeon, then in charge, and endeav-
oured to dissuade him from his purpose. While upon a visit to his
tribe he met his death in the manner already recorded. His natural
courage and presence of mind did not desert him even at the last
extremity, when he was roused from sleep to find himself surroun-
ded by a host of savages thirsting for his blood. They told him to
rise, but he merely raised himself upon his elbow, and said: "If you
want to kill me do so where I am, I won't get up--give me a spear
and club, and I'll fight you all one by one!" He had scarcely spoken
when a man named Alerk speared him from behind, spear after
spear followed, and as he lay writhing on the ground his savage
murderers literally dashed him to pieces with their clubs. The ac-
count of the manner in which Neinmal met his death was given me
by a very intelligent native who had it from an eyewitness, and I
have every reason to believe it true, corroborated as it was by the
testimony of others.
December 3rd.
RETURN TO SYDNEY.
CHAPTER 1.5.
Fate of Kennedy's Expedition.
Sail on our Third Northern Cruise.
Excursion on Moreton Island.
History of Discoveries on the South-East Coast of New Guinea and
the Louisiade Archipelago, from 1606 to 1846.
Find the Shores of the Louisiade protected by a Barrier Reef.
Beautiful appearances of Rossel Island.
Pass through an opening in the Reef, and enter Coral Haven.
Interview with Natives on Pig Island.
Find them treacherously disposed.
Their mode of Fishing on the Reefs.
Establish a system of Barter alongside the Ship.
Description of the Louisiade Canoes, and mode of management.
Find a Watering Place on South-East Island.
Its Scenery and Productions.
Suspicious conduct of the Natives.
Their Ornaments, etc. described.
The most eventful occurrence during our stay in Sydney, was the
arrival of the schooner which we had left at Port Albany, awaiting
the arrival of Mr. Kennedy. She brought the sad news of the dis-
astrous failure of his expedition, and of the death of all but three
composing the overland party, including their brave but ill-fated
leader. I was present at the judicial investigation which shortly af-
terwards took place, and shall briefly relate the particulars. I shall
not easily forget the appearance which the survivors presented on
this occasion--pale and emaciated, with haggard looks attesting the
misery and privations they had undergone, and with low trembling
voices, they gave their evidence.
Bay, where they arrived just in time to save Mr. Carron, the botan-
ical collector, and another man, the remaining six having perished.
In the words of one of the survivors: "the men did not seem to suf-
fer pain, but withered into perfect skeletons, and died from utter
exhaustion."
One night while returning from an excursion, I saw some fires be-
hind the beach near Cumboyooro Point, and on walking up was
glad to find an encampment of about thirty natives, collected there
for the purpose of fishing, this being the spawning season of the
mullet, which now frequent the coast in prodigious shoals. Finding
among the party an old friend of mine, usually known by the name
of Funny-eye, I obtained with some difficulty permission to sleep at
his fire, and he gave me a roasted mullet for supper. The party at
our bivouac, consisted of my host, his wife and two children, an old
man and two wretched dogs. We lay down with our feet towards a
large fire of driftwood, partially sheltered from the wind by a semi-
circular line of branches, stuck in the sand behind us; still, while
one part of the body was nearly roasted, the rest shivered with
cold. The woman appeared to be busy all night long in scaling and
roasting fish, of which, before morning, she had a large pile ready
cooked; neither did the men sleep much--for they awoke every
hour or so, gorged themselves still further with mullet, took a copi-
ous draft of water, and wound up by lighting their pipes before ly-
ing down again.
and in the advancing wave one might see thousands of large mullet
keeping together in a shoal with numbers of porpoises playing
about, making frequent rushes among the dense masses and scat-
tering them in every direction. Such of the men as were furnished
with the scoop-net waded out in line, and, waiting until the por-
poises had driven the mullet close in shore, rushed among the
shoal, and, closing round in a circle with the nets nearly touching,
secured a number of fine fish, averaging two and a half pounds
weight. This was repeated at intervals until enough had been pro-
cured. Meanwhile others, chiefly boys, were at work with their
spears, darting them in every direction among the fish, and on the
best possible terms with the porpoises, which were dashing about
among their legs, as if fully aware that they would not be molested.
The first navigator who saw the shores in question, appears to have
been Luiz Vaez de Torres, in the Spanish frigate La Almiranta,
coming from the eastward, in August 1606. In latitude 11 1/2 de-
grees South, Torres came upon what he calls the beginning of New
Guinea, which, however, appears to have been a portion of what is
now known as the Louisiade Archipelago. Being unable to weather
the easternmost point of this land (Cape Deliverance) he bore away
to the westward along its southern shores. "All this land of New
Guinea," says he, in his long-forgotten letter to the king of Spain (a
copy of which was found in the Archives at Manila, after the cap-
ture of that city by the British, in 1762) "is peopled with Indians,
not very white, much painted, and naked, except a cloth made of
the bark of trees. They fight with darts, targets, and some stone
clubs, which are made fine with plumage. Along the coast are many
islands and habitations. All the coast has many ports, very large,
with very large rivers, and many plains. Without these islands
there runs a reef of shoals, and between them (the shoals) and the
mainland are the islands. There is a channel within. In these parts I
took possession for your Majesty.
"We went along 300 leagues of coast, as I have mentioned, and di-
minished the latitude 2 1/2 degrees, which brought us into 9 de-
grees. From hence we fell in with a bank of from three to nine
fathoms, which extends along the coast above 180 leagues. We
went over it along the coast to 7 1/2 South latitude, and the end of
it is in 5 degrees. We could not go further on for the many shoals
and great currents, so we were obliged to sail out South-West in
that depth to 11 degrees South latitude."
By this time Torres had reached the Strait which now bears his
name, and which he was the first to pass through. He continues:
"We caught in all this land twenty persons of different nations, that
with them we might be able to give a better account to your
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M. DE BOUGAINVILLE.
passing from east to west between the shores of Australia and New
Guinea.
CAPTAIN EDWARDS.
ADMIRAL D'ENTRECASTEAUX.
M. RUALT COUTANCE.
called Ushant. Several high rocks (Teste Isles) in sight when they
stood off for the night served next morning as a connecting point.
In company with the Bramble we sailed from Moreton Bay for the
Louisiade on May 26th. Next day it began to blow fresh,
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On June 10th (our noon position of that day being latitude 11 de-
grees 38 minutes South and longitude 154 degrees 17 minutes
East) at daylight, high land was seen extending from North to
North-west, distant about twenty-five miles. It proved to be the
largest Ile du Sud-Est of D'Urville's chart, and Rossel Island, the
latter forming the eastern termination of the Louisiade Ar-
chipelago. Next day we fell in with the Bramble in the neighbour-
hood of Cape Deliverance of the English chart (by Laurie) her ren-
dezvous in case of separation; we had parted company during the
late gale, in which she lost her jib-boom and stern-boat.
ROSSEL ISLAND.
June 13th.
ITS INHABITANTS.
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June 14th.
PIRON ISLAND.
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We then ran along the northern side of Piron* Island, which is five
miles in length, and one and a half in breadth, of moderate eleva-
tion, and sloping gently towards each extreme. It exhibits a range
of low grassy hills, with smooth rounded outline, a straggling belt
of wood--often mangroves--along the shore, patches of brush here
and there in the hollows, and on the hilltops, scattered along the
ridge, a few solitary tall bushy trees with silvery-looking foliage.
The bright green of the tall grass gave a pleasing aspect to the
whole island, large tracts of which appeared like fields of unripe
grain. We saw few natives, the opposite, or southern shore, being
probably that chiefly inhabited. Close approach to Piron Island was
prevented by a second barrier reef, which we followed to the
North-North-West for several miles beyond the end of the island,
anxiously looking out for an opening into the fine expanse of pale
blue water seen to extend to the southward as far as the large
south-east island.** At length an opening in the reef was observed,
and the ship hauled off and hove to, while Lieutenant Yule ex-
amined it in one of his boats.
In the afternoon the Bramble having made the signal passage clear
but narrow, was directed to enter, and we followed her through a
fine opening 400 yards wide, and were immediately in soundings,
which 111 fathoms of line had failed to procure only a short dis-
tance outside. After standing on the southward for two miles we
anchored in 15 fathoms water. The name of Coral Haven was be-
stowed upon this new harbour. We remained here all next day,
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during which the natives in their canoes came off to the Bramble,
and one or two of the boats away sounding, but would not venture
to approach the ship.
June 16th.
The ship was moved in one and a half miles to the southward, to-
wards the land, and anchored in ten fathoms, close to a reef
covered at high-water, and about a mile distant from a small bank
of dead coral and sand; the former of these was selected by Captain
Stanley as the starting point of the survey, and on the latter mag-
netical observations were made by Lieutenant Dayman.
PIG ISLAND.
Five of our party landed about half a mile from where the canoe
had disappeared, apparently in some creek of a mangrove swamp;
while walking along the muddy shore we were met by about a
dozen natives, who gradually fell back as we approached. Seeing
them apparently afraid of our number and weapons--they
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THEIR APPEARANCE.
But it was not considered expedient to waste more time upon the
natives, so we turned back and walked along the eastern side of the
island one and a half miles, with the boat in company outside. A
small stream of fresh water was found, not sufficient, however, for
our wants, nor was the place suitable for the approach of boats.
The rock on Pig Island, where exposed at some of the points, is
mica slate, soft and splintery in many places, with frequent veins of
quartz. The hills,* although often running in ridges, have a roun-
ded outline, and the soil on the smooth grassy places--comprising
three-fourths of the island--is composed of disintegrated rock
mixed with pieces of undecomposed quartz, any considerable accu-
mulation of vegetable mould being probably prevented by the
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heavy rains. The grass is very luxuriant without being rank; it was
not known to me, for, unlike most of the other plants, I had not
met with it in Australia. Indeed the frequency of the coconut-palm
was the only non-Malayo-Australian feature in the vegetation. As
no botanist had previously visited the Louisiade, a few of the prin-
cipal plants may be mentioned. These are Guilandina bonduc,
Tournefortia argentea, Morinda citrifolia, Paritium tiliaceum,
Casuarina equisetifolia, and Clerodendrum inerme,* among the
trees and shrubs, which were often overgrown with Lygodium mi-
crophyllum, and Disemma coccinea. The only birds seen were the
sacred kingfisher, the sulphur-crested cockatoo, and the Australian
crow. The shells on the reef were all Australian likewise, but under
some decaying logs, on the beach, I found single species of Auri-
cula, Truncatella, Scarabus, and Melampus.
The men we saw today were dark copper coloured, with the excep-
tion of the spokesman, whose skin was of a light-brownish yellow
hue. The hair in nearly all was frizzled out into a mop, in some in-
stances of prodigious size; the light-coloured man, however, had
his head closely shaved.* The physiognomy varied much; some had
a savage, even ferocious aspect. The nose was narrower and more
prominent, the mouth smaller, the lips thinner, the eyes more dis-
tant, the eyebrows less overhanging, the forehead higher, but not
broader, than in the Australian, with whom I naturally compared
them as the only dark savage race which I had seen much of. They
used the betel, or something like it, judging from the effect in dis-
colouring the teeth and giving a bloody appearance to the saliva;
each man carried his chewing materials in a small basket, the lime,
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None had the artificial prominent scars on the body peculiar to the
Australians, or wanted any of the front teeth, but the septum of the
nose was perforated to admit an ornament of polished shell, poin-
ted and slightly turned up at each end. The lobe of the ear was slit,
the hole being either kept distended by a large plug of rolled-up
leaf, apparently of the banana, or hung with thin circular earrings
made of the ground down end of a cone-shell (Conus mille-
punctatus) one and a half inches in diameter, with a central hole
and a slit leading to the edge. A piece of cloth-like substance, the
dried leaf of the Pandanus or some palm was used by all as a
breech cloth--it passes between the legs and is secured in front and
behind to a narrow waist-band.
June 17th.
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Four of our party got on shore with difficulty after a long wade
upon the reef, up to the waist in water, but, on ascending the bank,
the red man, as we provisionally named him, retired to a small
group of natives who were coming up. Following them as they
gradually fell back in the direction of the village, in a short time the
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two foremost, Messrs. Huxley and Brierly,* the latter having laid
down his rifle, were allowed to approach and parley. Meanwhile,
Lieutenant Simpson and I remained behind watching the natives
who quickly surrounded the two others, offering tortoise-shell,
green plantains, and other things for barter, and hustling them in
no very ceremonious way while intent upon sketching, and having
to keep their subjects in good humour by treating them to sundry
scraps of extempore melodramatic performance. Newcomers were
continually making their appearance, and all the party were now
suddenly observed to have furnished themselves with spears, none
of which had been seen at first, and which had probably been con-
cealed among the long grass at the spot to which they had led us.
These weapons are made of polished coconut-wood, eight to ten
feet long, sharp at each end, and beautifully balanced, the thickest
part being two-fifths of the distance from the point; one end was
usually ornamented with a narrow strip of palm leaf, fluttering in
the breeze like a pennon as usually carried. One man was furnished
with a two-edged carved and painted instrument like a sword.
Most of these people had their face daubed over with broad streaks
of charcoal down the centre and round the eyes. Occasionally
variegated with white, giving them a most forbidding aspect. At
length a live pig was brought down from the village, slung on a
pole, and was purchased for a knife and a handkerchief. This was a
masterstroke of policy, as the natives well knew that it would take
two of us to bear off our prize to the boat, thus rendering our little
party less formidable.
Arriving at the bank above the boat, the pig-carriers with their bur-
den speedily reached the bottom, all three rolling down together.
When they were well clear we followed, keeping a sharp lookout
behind in case of any advantage being taken of our position. The
boat had grounded upon the reef with the falling tide, but with
some difficulty was got afloat, when we left the place.
After rounding the point we opened a large bay on the west side of
the island where we saw the mouth of a small stream pointed out
by the natives during our last interview, but, on approaching with-
in 300 yards, it was found that boats could not get any closer in at
low-water, the shore being everywhere fringed by a reef. This is the
most beautiful and sheltered portion of the island, well wooded,
with a sandy beach, clumps of coconut-trees, and a village of four
or five huts. We landed on a small islet connected with the south-
west point of Pig Island by a reef, and strolled about with our guns
while the boat's crew were having their dinners. Several Megapodii
were seen and one was shot--it afterwards proved to be the M.
duperreyi, previously known as a native of Port Dorey on the
north-west coast of New Guinea. While holding on to the reef a
party of natives, apparently from Brierly Island, paddled up in a ca-
noe, and, after some hesitation at first, came alongside calling out
kelumai-kelumai, which we conjectured to be their word for iron.
For a few trifling articles we obtained a spear or two, and some
cooked yams, and parted good friends, after which we returned to
the ship, having completed the circuit of the island without finding
a practicable watering-place.
June 18th.
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Five canoes came off this morning with seven or eight natives in
each, but apparently not with the intention of bartering, although
they remained for a short time near the Bramble; it was thought
that some allusions were made by them to the pistol stolen yester-
day, but this did not appear to be certain. After a while they
crossed over to the ship, and from a respectful distance--as if afraid
to come closer--used many violent gesticulations, talking vehe-
mently all the while, and repeatedly pointed to the break in the reef
by which we had entered Coral Haven, waving us off at the same
time. Our red friend from Pig Island made himself as conspicuous
as on former occasions, and none shouted more loudly or wished to
attract more attention to himself. Unfortunately his eloquence was
quite thrown away upon us, nor had his threatening gestures the
desired effect of inducing us to leave the place and proceed to sea.
June 20th.
I returned to the ship after a short cruise in the pinnace sent away
with Lieutenant Simpson to ascertain whether a passage for the
ship to the eastward existed between Piron Island and South-east
Island. Independently of numerous detached coral patches, the
channel was found to be completely blocked up by a reef stretching
across from one island to the other, beyond which, separated by an
extensive tract of shoal water, a heavy surf was breaking on what is
probably an outer barrier. Many snakes were seen on the surface of
the water, and large shoals of skipjacks (Caranx) playing about in
long extended lines occasionally presented the appearance of a
breaking reef. The fish were attended by flocks of terns and nod-
dies, the former the beautiful Sterna melanauchen.
June 21st.
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POISONOUS FISH.
During the afternoon one of the crew of a boat upon the reef, while
incautiously handling a frog-fish (Batrachus) which he had found
under a stone, received two punctures at the base of the thumb
from the sharp dorsal spines partially concealed by the skin.
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June 23rd.
ROUND ISLAND.
June 24th.
In the course of the day no less than seven canoes with natives, in-
cluding several women and children, came off to the ship boldly
and without hesitation, as if confidence were now established. At
one time we had five canoes alongside, with a brisk and noisy
traffic going on. The people parted very readily with their weapons
and ornaments, also coconuts in abundance, and a few yams and
bananas, for strips of calico and pieces of iron hoop. Axes,
however, were more prized than any other article, and the exhibi-
tion of one was certain to produce great eagerness to procure it,
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Among our visitors today I noticed two who had large white
patches on the skin, as if caused by some leprous complaint--one
man had lost his nose, and in addition was affected with elephant-
iasis of the left foot.
striking the water beyond the canoes, sent them off to the shore at
their utmost speed.
are sunk into the float and firmly secure it. A strip of the inner por-
tion of the outrigger frame is converted into a platform by long
sticks laid lengthways close to each other--here the sails, masts,
poles, spears, and other articles are laid when not in use. The
paddles vary slightly in form but are usually about four feet in
length, with a slender handle and a pointed lance-shaped blade.
The number of men able to use the paddles is regulated in each ca-
noe by that of supporting outrigger poles, the end of each of which,
in conjunction with one of the knees supporting the gunwale,
serves as a seat. One sitter at each end, being clear of the outrigger,
is able to use his paddle on either side as requisite in steering, but
the others paddle on the right or starboard side only. The man
seated at the stern closes with his body the opening between the
ends of the raised gunwale and thus keeps out the spray or wash of
the sea. Still they require to bail frequently, using for this purpose
the large shell of the Melo ethiopica. In calms and light airs these
canoes of Coral Haven may be overtaken without difficulty by a
fast-pulling ship's boat, but on going to windward with a moderate
breeze and a little head-sea they appeared to have the advantage.
The sails are from twelve to fifteen feet in length and a yard wide--
made of coarse matting of the leaf of the coconut-tree stretched
between two slender poles. The mast is stepped with an outward
inclination into one of three or four holes in a narrow shifting
board in the bottom of the canoe, and is secured near the top to a
slender stick of similar length made fast to the outside part of the
outrigger; a second pole is then erected stretching diagonally out-
wards and secured to the outer one near its centre. Against the
framework thus formed the sails are stuck up on end side by side to
the number of three or four, occasionally even five, and kept in
their places by long sticks placed transversely, their ends as well as
those of the mast being sharpened to serve as skewers which in the
first instance secure the sails. While under sail either the bow or
stern of the canoe may be foremost, this being regulated by the
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Among the canoes which visited the ship one was of a quite differ-
ent construction from the rest and resembled some of those which
we had seen while passing along the northern side of Rossel Island.
It contained seven men, and came from the eastward--probably
from Piron Island. The body of a canoe of this class is formed like
the other, or more common kind, of the hollowed out trunk of a
large tree, tapering to a point and rising slightly at the ends, which,
however, are alike and covered over by a close-fitting piece of
wood, each end being thus converted into a hollow cone. The sides
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are raised by a plank two feet high and end-boards forming a kind
of long box, with the seams pitched over. One side is provided with
an outrigger similar to that already described, and on the other is a
small stage, level with the gunwale, six feet long, planked over, and
projecting four feet or thereabouts. The mast is a standing one
stepped into a board in the bottom--it is lashed to a stout trans-
verse pole, and is further supported by two fore and aft stays. The
halyards reeve through a hole in a projecting arm a foot long at the
masthead. But the sail forms the most curious feature in the whole
affair.* It measures about fifteen feet in width by eight in depth
and is made of rather fine matting stretched between two yards
and rounded at the sides. The sail when not in use is rolled up and
laid along the platform--when hoisted it stretches obliquely up-
wards across the mast, confined by the stays, with the lower and
foremost corner resting on the stage and the tack secured to the
foot of the mast. Both ends being alike, the mast central, and the
sail large and manageable, a canoe of this description is well adap-
ted for working to windward. Tacking is simply and expeditiously
performed by letting go the tack, hauling upon the sheet, and con-
verting one into the other. The large steering paddles are eight or
nine feet long, with an oblong rounded blade of half that length.
June 26th.
DESCRIPTION OF COUNTRY.
Meanwhile the creek had slightly narrowed, the dead trees in the
water became more frequent and troublesome, and the thickets on
the banks encroached more and more upon the channel so as not
to allow room for the oars to pass, obliging the men to use them as
poles. At every turn in the windings of the stream (still too brackish
to be fit to drink) some beautiful glimpse of jungle scenery presen-
ted itself as we passed upwards--long vistas and stray bursts of
sunshine alternating with the gloomy shadows of the surrounding
woods. A deep silence pervaded the banks of this water never be-
fore visited by civilised man. Its monotony broken only by the oc-
casional brief word of command, the splash of the oars, or the
shrill notes of some passing flights of parrots. The river, for now it
might fairly be called one, retained the same character until we had
gone up about a mile, when further progress was stopped by a
ridge of rocks stretching across from side to side marking the limits
of the tidal influence. Over this the rush of fresh water formed a
strong rapid backed by a deep, sluggish, winding stream, draining
a large basin-like valley bounded behind by the central ridge of the
island, the principal hills of which attain an elevation of from 992
to 1,421 feet, and one, Mount Rattlesnake, is 2,689 feet in height.
At times the body of water discharged here must be immense,
judging from the quantity of driftwood and other detritus lodged in
the trees twelve feet above the present level of the stream, probably
during the inundations of the rainy season. These floods must also
spread over the low land on the margin of the river to a consider-
able distance, the deep red clay there, evidently the washings of the
hills, bearing the marks of having been under water. The jungle in
places is very dense, but, with the exercise of a little patience and
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The rock is scarcely ever exposed on the banks of the river except at
the rapid before alluded to. Though still mica-slate, it is there of
much greater hardness and denser texture than on Pig and Round
Islands, and stretches across the stream like a dyke, running nearly
north and south with a westerly dip of about 60 degrees. Else-
where, along the shores of Coral Haven, this mica-slate is of a
leaden hue and glistening lustre, yielding to the nail, with a slight
greasy feel, especially in some pieces of a shining ash-grey, acted
upon by salt-water. From hand specimens alone it is difficult to as-
sign a name to this rock, as it partakes more or less of the charac-
ters of mica, chlorite, and talc-schists.
PLANTS.
ANIMALS.
No snakes were seen during our rambles, but small lizards oc-
curred everywhere. A large lizard, apparently Monitor gouldii, was
shot from a tree on the banks of the river.
INSECTS.
Very few fish were caught at this anchorage, but on the mudflat at
the mouth of the creek, shoals of mullet and guard-fish were seen
daily. In the fresh water I observed several small species of Cyprin-
idae rising at flies, but, not being provided with the requisite
tackle, none were caught.
SHELLS.
During our stay here the ship was daily visited by canoes from Pig
Island and its vicinity, also from a village or two on South-east Is-
land, a few miles to the eastward of our anchorage. They usually
made their appearance in the morning and remained for an hour
or so, bartering coconuts, yams, ornaments and weapons for iron
hoop, knives, and axes. After leaving us, those coming from the
eastward, as the wind was unfavourable for their return, landed at
the mouth of the creek and waited for the floodtide. Our inter-
course throughout was peaceful, which was fortunate for both
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NATIVE ORNAMENTS.
Nearly all the men carried in their hair a comb projecting in front
or on one side. This article is usually made of wood, but occasion-
ally of tortoise-shell, a foot in length, thin, flat, and narrow, with
about six very long, slightly diverging, needle-shaped teeth, but it
admits of much variety of size and shape, and frequently has vari-
ous ornaments attached to it. The spatula used by betel chewers to
introduce the lime to the mouth, although often made of tortoise-
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CHAPTER 1.6.
Leave Coral Haven.
Brierly Island.
Communication with the Natives.
Description of their Huts.
Bartering for Yams and Cocoa-nuts.
Suspicious conduct of the Natives.
They attack the Surveying Boats.
Calvados Group.
Further communication with the Inhabitants.
Stay at Duchateau Islands.
Their Productions.
Proceedings there.
Duperre Islands.
Unable to find Anchorage.
Pass out to Sea, and proceed to the Westward.
Western termination of the Louisiade Archipelago.
Reach the Coast of New Guinea.
July 2nd.
We landed upon a sandy beach, after wading over the fringing reef,
and were met by some natives who had come round a neighbour-
ing point from the windward or inhabited side. Although at first
cautious of approach, yet in the course of a few minutes they came
freely about us to the number of twenty, each carrying two or three
spears--not the beautifully polished and well-balanced ones we had
seen elsewhere, but merely slender, rudely-fashioned sticks
sharpened at each end. About twelve women, dressed in the usual
petticoat of grass-like stuff, followed at a distance, and kept close
to the point for some time; but at length the natural curiosity of the
sex (I suppose) overcame their fear, and although repeatedly
ordered back by the men, they drew up closer and closer to have a
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July 3rd.
off with the teeth and placed in the mouth; then the spatula,
formerly described, moistened with saliva, is dipped into a small
calabash of lime in fine powder, with which the tongue and lips are
smeared over by repeated applications. The bolus is then kept in
the mouth, and rolled over and over until it is thought requisite to
renew it. The practice of betel chewing is not confined to the men,
for the few women whom we had seen alongside the ship in Coral
Haven, had their teeth blackened by it.
Several dogs were also seen close to, for the first time--they were
wretched half-starved objects of various colours, but agreed in
being long-bodied, short-legged, and prick-eared, with sharp snout
and long tail, slightly bushy, but tapering to a point. They do not
bark, but have the long melancholy howl of the dingo or wild dog of
Australia.
At length some of us found our way to the huts of the natives which
were close at hand, and had thus an opportunity of examining one
of them minutely, besides verifying what we had before seen only
from a distance, and with the aid of the telescope. The distinctive
characters of these huts consist in their being long and tunnel-like,
drooping and overhanging at each end, raised from the ground
upon posts, and thatched over. The four huts composing the village
were placed in two adjacent clearings, fifty or sixty yards in length,
screened from the beach by a belt of small trees and brushwood,
behind is the usual jungle of the wooded islands of the Archipelago,
with a path leading through it towards the centre of the island. A
solitary hut stood perched upon the ridge near the summit shaded
by cocoa-palms, and partially hid among the bushes and tall grass.
It differed from those of the village in having the posts projecting
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one side, closed by a flap of matting finer than the rest. Opposite
each door an inclined beam--one end of which rests on the ground,
and the other leans against the fork of a short upright post--serves
as a step for mounting by.
Near these huts were several large sheds, open at one side, where
the cooking is performed--judging from the remains of fires under
them. On two small stages, planked over, we saw a number of thin
and neatly carved earthen pots, blackened with smoke; these are
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I could not help contrasting the condition of these people with that
of the Australian blacks, a considerable portion of whose time, at
certain periods of the year, is spent in shifting about from place to
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place, searching for food, living from hand to mouth, and leading a
hard and precarious life. But here, on this little island, the coconut-
tree alone would be sufficient to supply many of the principal
wants of man. The fruit serves both for food and drink--the shell is
used to carry about water in*--the fibres of the husk are converted
into cordage, and the leaves into matting, while the wood is fash-
ioned into spears and other useful articles. The cultivation of bana-
nas and yams--of the latter of which, and of two other edible roots,
we saw large quantities in the huts--costs him very little trouble--
he occasionally keeps a few pigs, and when inclined, can always
catch plenty of fish, and occasionally a turtle upon the reefs at low-
water.
July 4th.
The first cutter was sent to Brierly Island today, for the double pur-
pose of endeavouring to procure yams from the natives for the use
of the ship's company, and enabling me to make additions to my
vocabulary and collection. Mr. Brady took charge of the bartering,
and drawing a number of lines upon the sandy beach, explained
that when each was covered with a yam he would give an axe in
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At length the natives appeared anxious to get rid of us, after ob-
taining about seventeen axes and a few knives, in return for 368
pounds of yams, which cost us little more than a halfpenny per
pound. After wading out to the boat, the natives assisted in shoving
her off, and when we had got well clear of the beach, they treated
us to what might have been one of their dances, dividing into two
parties, and with wild pantomimic gesture, advancing and retiring,
and going through the motion of throwing the spear, with one or
two of which each was provided.
Even during the height of the bartering very few of the natives had
laid aside their weapons, and it was evident that they were influ-
enced by no very friendly feeling towards us, and were glad to be
relieved of our presence. They had latterly become more noisy than
usual, and even insolent, and I believe that had we stayed a little
longer, hostilities would have commenced, as they probably re-
garded our forbearance to be the result of fear.
There was no fence, but the ground had been partially cleared,
leaving the stumps of the smaller trees and shrubs as posts for the
yam plants (a Dioscorea with broad heart-shaped leaves) to train
themselves upon. After a stay of nearly an hour, we were moving
down towards the boat, when the natives made their appearance
round the point, coming up in straggling order. One in advance of
the rest came along at a rapid pace with his spear poised, and poin-
ted it at the nearest of our party, when within a few yards of him,
with what intention I do not presume to say--but the natives were
evidently in a state of great excitement. As they might erroneously
have supposed that we had been making free with their coconuts
and yams, some grass which had been cut for the sheep on board
was taken out of the bag and shown them as being intended for our
bobo (pigs)--which they appeared to understand. The one among
them who had yesterday made the allusion to Joannet Island poin-
ted to our guns, talking at the same time with great energy, and
making signs as if wishing to see the use of a weapon of whose
wonderful effects he had lately heard. As many swallows were fly-
ing about, I told Wilcox--probably the best shot of the party--to
shoot one, which was done cleverly, and the bird fell at our feet.
The indications of surprise were not so great as I expected to have
seen exhibited, but after several more shots had been fired, some
with ball along the water, a few of the natives began to show signs
of uneasiness and sneaked away. Old Wadai, however (perhaps
feeling perfectly secure under the shelter of his perfect insignific-
ance) and one or two others sat down under a tree beside us, ap-
parently unconcerned, and some of the rest remained on the beach
until after our departure.
Today and yesterday I obtained in all about 130 words of the lan-
guage of the Brierly Island people. The small vocabulary thus
formed, the first ever obtained in the Louisiade Archipelago, leads
to some interesting results, and fills up one of the gaps in the chain
of philological affinities which may afterwards be brought to bear
upon the perplexing question--Whence has Australia been
peopled? Taking the numerals as affording in the present instance
the most convenient materials for hasty comparison, I find words
in common--not only with those of other divisions of the Pelagian
Negroes,* as the inhabitants of the north coast of New Guinea on
the one hand, and New Ireland on the other, but also with the
Malay and the various Polynesian languages or dialects spoken
from New Zealand to Tahiti.** This latter affinity between the
woolly and straight-haired sections of oceanic blacks appears to me
to render it more curious and unexpected that the language of the
Louisiade should completely differ from that of the northern part
of Torres Strait,*** the inhabitants of both being connected by
strong general similarity and occasionally identity in manners and
customs, and having many physical characteristics common to
both. Yet while the natives of the Louisiade use the decimal system
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July 6th.
the galley under cover of the pinnace, and was towed off to some
distance. The paddles having been taken out and the spears broken
and left in her, she was let go to drift down towards a village
whence the attacking party were supposed to have come. Some
blood in this canoe, although not the one most aimed at, showed
that the firing had not been ineffective.
July 10th.
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The Bramble and two of our boats were sent to ascertain whether
an easy passage to the westward existed inshore near the islands
(Calvados Group) extending in that direction, while, at the same
time, the ship stood to the southward and anchored in 28 fathoms,
four miles inside the barrier-reef. On our way we passed numerous
small coral patches, and others were afterwards found to the west-
ward, running in irregular lines, and partially blocking up the pas-
sage inside the barrier, which it was expected would have been
found clear.
CHANGEABLE WEATHER.
We remained here for five days, during which period we had much
variety of weather--sometimes blowing hard from East-South-East
to East-North-East with squalls and thick gloomy weather--at oth-
er times nearly a calm, the air disagreeably close and muggy, the
temperature varying from 75 to 85 degrees, with occasional heavy
rain.
about fourteen feet in length, which had been cruising about the
ship all the morning, sailed slowly up, and, turning slightly on one
side, attempted to seize the apparently helpless fish, but the suck-
er, with great dexterity, made himself fast in a moment to the
shark's back--off darted the monster at full speed--the sucker hold-
ing on fast as a limpet to a rock, and the billet towing astern. He
then rolled over and over, tumbling about, when, wearied with his
efforts, he laid quiet for a little. Seeing the float, the shark got it in-
to his mouth, and disengaging the sucker by the tug on the line,
made a bolt at the fish; but his puny antagonist was again too
quick, and fixing himself close behind the dorsal fin, defied the ef-
forts of the shark to disengage him, although he rolled over and
over, lashing the water with his tail until it foamed all around.
What the final result was, we could not clearly make out.
Many water snakes were seen here, swimming about on the sur-
face; and one of two chasing each other and playing about the ship
was shot by Captain Stanley from his cabin window, and brought
on board. It appeared to be of the genus Hypotrophis, and meas-
ured 37 1/2 inches in length; it had a pair of minute poison fangs
on each side of the upper jaw; the colour was a dirty greenish with
numerous pale narrow bands.
July 16th.
sinking state, bailed her out, and after taking some people out of
her, both made off, under sail, and we saw no more of them.
But for this accident I would probably have got a few words of their
language to compare with those obtained at Brierly Island. Our vis-
itors were profusely decorated with the red, feathery, leafy shoots
of an Amaranthus, which they wore fastened in bunches about the
ankles, waist, elbows, and in the hair. In other respects, I saw noth-
ing among them different from what has already been described at
Coral Haven.
still further to the left Ile Real, of D'Urville's chart, shoots up to the
height of 554 feet, as a solitary rocky island with rugged outline
and an abruptly peaked summit.
DUCHATEAU ISLANDS.
July 23rd.
The only other bird which I shall mention is a very fine kingfisher
(Halcyon saurophaga) with white head, neck, and lower parts,
green scapulars, and blue wings and tail, previously known by a
single specimen from New Guinea in the British Museum. It is a
very shy bird, frequenting the margin of the island, usually seen
perched on some detached or solitary branch, as if sunning itself,
and darting off into the dense brush upon being approached.
swimming about, and one was caught on shore during our stay by a
party of natives. The variety of fishes caught at this anchorage was
considerable, and furnished many additions to the ichthyological
collection, to which the paucity of other objects in zoology for some
time back enabled me to bestow much attention.* Among the gen-
era most remarkable for singularity of form and brilliancy of col-
ouring I may mention Holocentrum, five kinds of which were pro-
cured here, one brilliantly coloured with blue and silver, and the
remainder more or less of a bright scarlet.
they are found even in the holes of decaying trees at some height
above the ground.
During our stay at this anchorage the weather was fine for the first
three days, but afterwards was usually hazy, with strong breezes
from between east and south-east, with squalls and occasional
showers, the thermometer ranging between 72 and 85 degrees--re-
spectively the maximum and minimum temperature registered on
board.
DUPERRE ISLANDS.
August 4th.
The following day was spent in a similar manner, and with the like
result. The Bramble, when ordered by signal to point out the
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August 6th.
For several days we continued making traverses off and on the line
of barrier reefs extending to the westward, obtaining negative
soundings, and occasionally communicating by signal with the
Bramble, which was meanwhile doing the inshore part of the work.
The next islet seen was Ile Lejeune of D'Urville, situated in latitude
10 degrees 11 minutes South and longitude 151 degrees 50 minutes
East, eight miles to the westward of the nearest of the Duperre
group, with a wide intervening passage. The sea-face of the barrier
now becomes continuous for twenty-one miles further, its northern
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side broken into numerous openings, leading into shoal water. It is,
in fact, an elongated, almost linear atoll, with islands scattered
along its sheltered margin. After this, the barrier becomes broken
up into a series of small reefs, with passages between, still pre-
serving a westerly trend, until it ends in longitude 150 degrees 58
minutes East. Several small, low islets are scattered along its
course; of these the Sandy Isles come first, three in number, two of
them mere sandbanks, and the third thinly covered with trees, ap-
parently a kind of Pandanus. The neighbouring Ushant Island
(supposed to be that named Ile Ouessant by Bougainville) is larger
and densely wooded, and still further to the westward we saw the
two Stuers Islands, also low, and wooded. All those islets hitherto
mentioned as occurring along the line of the barrier reef are of the
same character--low, of coral formation, and generally wooded--
and so are two others situated a few miles to the northward of the
reef, and unconnected with it. These last are Kosmann Island, in
latitude 11 degrees 4 1/2 minutes South and longitude 151 degrees
33 minutes East, and Imbert Island, situated thirteen miles further
to the westward.
August 11th.
Today we came in sight of two groups of high rocky isles, very dif-
ferent from the low coral islets in the line of the barrier reef, which
here ceases to show itself above water. These are the Teste and
Lebrun Islands of D'Urville, the latter two in number, and of small
size (the westernmost, in latitude 10 degrees 53 minutes South and
longitude 150 degrees 59 minutes East) the former, a group of four,
of which the largest measures two and a half miles in length, while
the smallest is a remarkable pyramidal projection, to which the
name of Bell Rock was given--this last is situated in latitude 10 de-
grees 57 1/2 minutes South and longitude 151 degrees 2 minutes
East.
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August 12th.
We saw in the distance part of the high land of New Guinea in the
neighbourhood of where its south-east cape has been conjectured
to be, and approached within a few miles of the Dumoulin* Is-
lands, a group of four rocky isles, the westernmost of which is 400
feet high, and less than a mile in length; there are besides five
rocks, some of considerable size.
DUMOULIN ISLANDS.
CHAPTER 1.7.
Brumer Islands.
Catamarans and Canoes.
Friendly relations with the Natives of New Guinea.
Are well received at their Village.
Tatooing and Dress of the Women.
The Huts described.
Large Canoe from the Mainland.
Tassai ladies return our visit.
The Natives described.
Their Weapons, Ornaments, Food, etc.
Cul de Sac de l'Orangerie, and Communication with the Natives.
Redscar Bay and its Inhabitants.
Leave the Coast of New Guinea.
Arrive at Cape York.
BRUMER ISLANDS.
August 17th.
afternoon the Bramble was seen coming out from under the largest
of the Brumer Islands, and on her making the usual signal for good
anchorage, we followed her in and brought up after sunset in 35
fathoms, mud, about a mile from the shore.
another hill, not so high (386 feet) but somewhat similar in form,
shut out our further view in that direction. The mainland of New
Guinea filled the background with a broken outline of ridges of
wooded hills along the coast in front of a more distant and nearly
continuous range of high mountains covered with trees up to their
very summits.
The first catamaran was only nine feet long--it consisted of three
thick planks lashed together, forming a sort of raft, which one man
sitting a little behind the middle, with his legs doubled under him,
managed very dexterously with his paddle. We afterwards saw oth-
ers of a larger size, some of them capable of carrying a dozen
people with their effects. One of this description is made of three
logs--rarely two or four--laid side by side, and firmly secured to
each other with strips of rattan at each end, and in two or three
other places. The upper surface is smoothed down flat, and the
central piece projects a little way at each end which usually shows
some rude carving touched up with red and white paint. As the sea
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attached by small sticks or pegs let into the wood to eight or nine
notches in both gunwales, and are secured there. A portion, or the
whole of this framework, is carefully covered over with planks or
long sticks, and occasionally a small stage is formed on the oppos-
ite side, over the centre of the canoe, projecting a little outwardly,
with room upon it for two people to sit and paddle. The canoes of
this description which we saw were not provided with any other
sail than a small temporary one, made by interlacing the leaflets of
the cocoa-palm, and stuck up on poles when going with the wind
free. The paddles used here are similar in shape to those seen in
the Louisiade Archipelago, with spear-shaped blades and slender
handles, but are larger--measuring six feet in length--and of neater
construction, the end of the handle being carved into some fanciful
device.
BRUMER ISLANDERS.
About sunset, and when about to leave us, one of the Brumer
Islanders, standing on a large catamaran alongside, put himself in-
to a grotesque attitude, and commenced beating with his hand
upon a large tin can which someone had given him, at the same
time going through some of the motions of a dance. He seemed to
be a most amusing vagabond, for, upon our drummer being set to
work in the chains, after joining with the other natives in the first
exclamations of surprise, he listened attentively for a little, and
then struck up on his own extempore drum, keeping very good
time and causing roars of laughter by his strange grimaces and
antics. The effect of this pantomime was heightened by the style of
painting adopted by the actor whose face had been blackened with
charcoal, variegated by a white streak along the eyebrows turned
down at the ends, and another along the cheeks passing round the
chin.
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NATIVES ON BOARD.
August 18th.
The boisterous state of the weather did not prevent the natives
from repeatedly coming off to us with various articles of barter;
and we were even visited by a party of seven men from Tissot Is-
land, who paddled up on a catamaran five or six miles to windward
against a strong breeze and current. After some little persuasion,
several of them were induced to come on board and were shown
round the ship, presented with various articles, and dressed out
with scraps of clothing of every description. At first they showed
symptoms of uneasiness, and made frequent protestations of
friendship, as if the circumstance of our repeating them gave in-
creased confidence. Their mode of salutation or expression of
friendship consists in first touching the nose with the forefinger
and thumb of one hand, and then pinching the skin on each side of
the navel with the other, calling out at the same time, magasuga!
This habit resembles on one hand that of rubbing noses, so general
in Polynesia--and on the other, the custom of pinching the navel
and repeating the name for that part, practised by the islanders of
Torres Strait. At length our visitors withdrew, well pleased with
their reception, during which their common exclamation indicative
of surprise and delight, an ao long drawn out, was in constant
requisition.
August 19th.
We landed at a little bay near the centre of the western side of the
nearest and largest of the Brumer group. Although perfectly
sheltered from the wind, a heavy swell broke upon the margin of a
fringing coral reef running out fifty or sixty yards from the sandy
beach and stretching across the bay. The boats were backed in
from their anchors, and, after seven of us had got onshore by
watching an opportunity to jump out up to the middle in water,
and cross the reef, hauled out again to await our return.
FRIENDLY RECEPTION.
VILLAGE OF TASSAI.
seeds,* which last were eagerly sought after when their use had
been explained and understood.
PATTERNS OF TATOOING.
Many pigs were running about the village--small in size, lean and
long legged, usually black, with coarse bristles--also two or three
dogs, similar to those seen at Brierly Island. One young woman
was seen carrying about in her arms and fondling a very young pig-
-an incident which afforded us as much amusement as a lady's lap-
dog, with one end of a ribbon round its neck and the other attached
to a wasp-waisted damsel, would have caused among these utilit-
arian savages.
NATIVE HUTS.
August 20th.
LARGE CANOE.
August 22nd.
The most interesting occurrence of the day was the arrival from the
main of a very large canoe, with twenty-six people on board.*
When close to she shortened sail and attempted to paddle up, but
being too unwieldy to stem the current, the end of a rope from the
ship was carried out to her and she hauled up under our stern and
made fast there. Besides the ordinary paddles we observed at each
end two others of large size--probably used for steering with,
pulled as oars, with cane grommets on the gunwale. We had not
before seen so fine a sample of Papuans; several were elderly men
of fine figure and commanding appearance. One man among them
who sat alone upon a small raised stage over the platform appeared
to exercise a considerable degree of authority over the rest; the
only instance yet seen by us, either here or at the Louisiade, of any-
one assuming the functions of a chief. He called a small canoe
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DESCRIPTION OF CANOE.
This large canoe measured about forty feet in length, and was con-
structed of a hollowed-out tree raised upon with large planks form-
ing a long coffin-like box, closed with high end boards elegantly
carved and painted. Two rows of carved fishes ran along the sides,
and both ends were peaked, the bow rising higher than the stern,
and, like it, but more profusely, decorated with carving painted red
and white, streamers of palm-leaf, egg-cowries, and plumes of cas-
sowary feathers. The outrigger framework was completely covered
over, forming a large platform above the centre of which a small
stage rested on a strong projecting beam the outer end of which
was carved into the figure of a bird, while the inner reached to the
centre of the body of the canoe, and served to support the mast.
The planks forming the sides were strongly supported by knees
where each of the ten or twelve outrigger poles passes through one
side and rests against the other, and some loose bottom boards
form a partial shifting deck. The mast is supported above by two
stays fore and aft, and below steps into a massive bent timber
crossing the centre of the canoe, resting on the bottom, and is se-
cured above to the inner end of the long cross beam by strong lash-
ings, and some large wedges between it and one side. The sail is of
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A few days ago we saw another canoe closely resembling the above-
mentioned, but much smaller and carrying only eleven people. It
exhibited, however, one peculiarity in the great breadth of beam
amidships--amounting to four feet--which gave it much room for
stowage and additional buoyancy.
Of late the number of natives daily coming off to the ship has rap-
idly increased, so as now to amount to upwards of 100 in about 15
canoes and catamarans. Those from Tissot Island and the main-
land usually arrive in the forenoon, and, after an hour's stay, leave
us for the northern village on the nearest Brumer Island, where
they spend the night and return the next morning with a fair wind.
The noise and scrambling alongside when bartering is going on
baffles all description--besides the usual talking and shouting, they
have a singular habit of directing attention to their wares by a loud,
sharp ss, ss, a kind of hissing sound, equivalent to look at this.
MODE OF BARTERING.
In their bargaining the natives have generally been very honest, far
more so than our own people whom I have frequently seen cheat-
ing them by passing off scraps of worthless iron, and even tin and
copper, for pieces of hoop, the imposition not being found out until
the property has changed hands. As at the Louisiade iron hoop is
the article most prized by the natives, and is valued according to its
width and thickness as a substitute for the stone-heads of their
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axes. They also showed great eagerness to obtain our hatchets and
fish-hooks, but attached little value to calico, although a gaudy pat-
tern, or bright colour, especially red, was sure to arrest attention;
but in such matters they are very capricious. Even glass bottles
were prized, probably as a substitute for obsidian or volcanic glass,
portions of which I saw among them, used in shaving, as was ex-
plained to me, and probably also for carving in wood.
August 25th.
mention, that, even in their own village, and on all other occasions
where we had an opportunity of observing them, they acted with
perfect propriety, and although some indecent allusions were now
and then made by the men, this was never done in the presence of
the women. Of their marriages we could find out nothing--one man
appeared to have two wives, but even this was doubtful. The cir-
cumstance of children being daily brought off by their fathers to
look at the ship, and the strange things there, indicated a consider-
able degree of parental affection.
NATIVE DANCES.
Returning to our visitors: the fiddle, fife, and drum were put in re-
quisition, and a dance got up to amuse them. The women could not
be persuaded to join, but two of the men treated us to one of their
own dances, each having been previously furnished with a native
drum or baiatu. They advanced and retreated together by sudden
jerks, beating to quick or slow time as required, and chanting an
accompanying song, the cadence rising and falling according to the
action. The attitude was a singular one--the back straight, chin pro-
truded, knees bent in a crouching position, and the arms advanced;
on another occasion, one of the same men exhibited himself before
us in a war dance. In one hand he held a large wooden shield,
nearly three feet in length and rather more than one in width, and
in the other a formidable-looking weapon two feet in length--a por-
tion of the snout of a saw-fish with long sharp teeth projecting on
each side. Placing himself in a crouching attitude, with one hand
covered by the shield, and holding his weapon in a position to
strike, he advanced rapidly in a succession of short bounds, strik-
ing the inner side of the shield with his left knee at each jerk, caus-
ing the large cowries hung round his waist and ankles to rattle viol-
ently. At the same time with fierce gestures he loudly chanted a
song of defiance. The remainder of the pantomime was expressive
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of attack and defence, and exaltation after victory. But a still more
curious dance was one performed a few nights ago by a party of
natives which had left the ship after sunset and landed abreast of
the anchorage. On seeing a number of lights along the beach, we at
first thought they proceeded from a fishing party, but on looking
through a night-glass, the group was seen to consist of above a
dozen people, each carrying a blazing torch, and going through the
movements of a dance. At one time they extended rapidly into line,
at another closed, dividing into two parties, advancing and retreat-
ing, crossing and recrossing, and mixing up with each other. This
continued for half an hour, and having apparently been got up for
our amusement, a rocket was sent up for theirs, and a blue-light
burned, but the dancing had ceased, and the lights disappeared.
In the evening when the natives were leaving for the shore, one of
them volunteered to remain on board on the understanding that
some of us should accompany him to Tassai, where, he explained,
there would be plenty of dancing and eating, enumerating pigs,
dogs, yams, and coconuts, as the component parts of the feast. He
was taken down to the wardroom, and shortly underwent a com-
plete metamorphosis, effected by means of a regatta shirt of gaudy
pattern, red neckcloth, flannel trousers, a faded drab Taglioni of
fashionable cut buttoned up to the throat, and an old black hat
stuck on one side of his woolly head. Every now and then he re-
newed his invitation to go on shore, but was satisfied when given to
understand that our visit must be deferred till the morrow.
NATIVE SONG.
August 26th.
Our guest became very uneasy when he saw no canoes from the is-
land coming off, and no symptoms of lowering a boat to land him.
His invitation to the shore and pantomime of killing a pig were re-
peated time after time, and he became very despondent. Two ca-
noes from the mainland came alongside, and he got into one which
shoved off, but quickly returned and put him on board, as they
were not going to the island. The poor fellow at last appeared so
miserable, being actually in tears, that a boat was sent to put him
on shore abreast of the ship, and, when he landed, two young wo-
men and a child came running up to meet him. A number of nat-
ives on the sandy beach were anxiously watching the boat, as if the
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long detention of the man on board the ship had made them suspi-
cious of our treatment of him.
In colour too it varied, although usually black, and when long, pale
or reddish at the tips;* yet some people of both sexes were ob-
served having it naturally of a bright red colour, but still woolly.
The beard and moustache, when present, which is seldom the case,
are always scanty, and there is very little scattered hair upon the
body.
The colour of the skin varies from a light to a dark copper colour,
the former being the prevailing hue; individuals of a light yellowish
brown hue are often met with, but this colour of the skin is not ac-
companied by distinctive features.
The average stature of these Papuans is less than our own, being
only about five feet four inches; this did not appear to be the case
when seen alongside, but on board the ship, and especially when
clothed, the difference became very apparent. Although well made,
and far surpassing us in agility, they were our inferiors in muscular
power. Their strength was tested by means of a deep-sea lead
weighing twenty-two pounds which none of the natives could hold
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Among the people who came alongside the ship one day we noticed
two cases of that kind of elephantiasis called Barbadoes Leg, in one
combined with enormous distension of the scrotum, which was lar-
ger than a man's head, and studded with warts. One of these unfor-
tunate objects had both legs much swollen, especially about the
ankle, where the skin was almost obliterated by large scab-like
warts, the other, besides the diseased leg, had a huge tumour on
the inner side of the right thigh.
WEAPONS.
The spear in most common use tapers to a point at each end, more
suddenly in front and very gradually behind where it usually ter-
minates in a small knob with two or three ornamental rings. Some-
times a grommet, or ring of cordage, is worked upon the spear near
one end, to prevent the hand slipping when making a thrust. There
are many other kinds of spears variously barbed on one or both
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ORNAMENTS.
The ornaments worn on this part of the coast are in general so pre-
cisely similar to those of the Louisiade, already described, that a
brief allusion to them is sufficient. In both places we saw the same
nose-sticks, combs stuck in the hair, flat circular earrings, woven
and shell armlets, round ornaments made of melon shell, necklaces
of dog's teeth and black seeds, and white cowries strung round the
legs, arms, and neck. I observed here none of the human jaw bones
worn as bracelets so frequently met with in the Louisiade, nor did
painting the body appear to be carried to the same extent, although
the mode of doing so was the same. Here too we sometimes saw
the hair collected and twisted behind into a single or double queue,
and procured a neatly constructed bushy wig of frizzled hair. A
girdle of split rattan wound about a dozen times round the waist is
in common use here, but I do not recollect having seen it in the
Louisiade.
MANUFACTURES.
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In the Louisiade we had not observed the betel pepper, but here it
was found in common use--both the leaf and green fruit, especially
the latter, being added to the lime and areca-nut. Still betel chew-
ing, although a very general habit, is by no means universally prac-
tised, for many elderly people retained the original whiteness of the
teeth. By the males it appears to be adopted only after attaining the
state of manhood, and among the females is almost entirely con-
fined to the old women.
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MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
PANDEAN PIPES.
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FOOD.
August 29th.
During our stay of thirteen days at this anchorage the wind has
usually been strong from East to East-South-East, with dull,
gloomy, squally weather, and occasionally showers of drizzling
rain. Today, however, the rain was so heavy that we caught seven
tons in the awning. To this haziness, which by obscuring distant
objects was unfavourable for surveying purposes, we owed our long
detention here. As our intercourse with the shore was limited to
the two brief visits formerly mentioned, I made no addition to the
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September 4th.
Five days ago we sailed from the Brumer Islands, and continued
running lines of soundings off and on the coast, the inshore details
being left as usual to the Bramble. On one occasion, while within a
few miles of the shore, the water suddenly shoaled to twelve, ten,
and six fathoms, rock or coral, although half an hour before no bot-
tom could be got with a hundred fathoms of line--apparently an in-
dication of a submarine barrier, more or less continuous, running
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This afternoon, while off the eastern end of the bay called by Bou-
gainville the Cul de sac de l'Orangerie, the Bramble was signalled
to lead in towards the land off which we anchored at 9 P.M. in 30
fathoms.
WOODEN PILLOW.
The northern shores of the Cul de Sac are low and wooded, forming
an extensive tract of level land stretching backwards towards the
mountains, with a large opening at its eastern end, which is prob-
ably the mouth of a great river. The Bramble was sent to examine
this bay, but the shoalness of the water, and the unfavourable
nature of the weather prevented the completion of this work. Dur-
ing her absence a large canoe was seen in the bay, differing from all
those hitherto observed in having a triangular or lateen sail set
with the apex downwards, thus resembling those in use on the
north coast of New Guinea, among some of the Malay Islands, and
those of the Viti Archipelago.
degrees. During our five days' stay off Dufaure Island we were daily
employed in catching rainwater for ship's use, being on reduced al-
lowance of that necessary article. The wind throughout has been
steady at South-East, occasionally varying a point or two towards
east.
September 18th.
For the last three days the coast has appeared as a strip of low land,
backed by mountain ranges of moderate elevation.* We observed
several openings, apparently creeks or mouths of rivers, and saw
much smoke and some canoes, but our distance from the shore was
too great to allow of communication. In the evening we stood off to
seaward, and during the night, while trying to avoid it, probably
passed over the assigned position of a reef laid down on one of the
charts as having been seen in 1804, but without being able to con-
firm or disprove its existence.**
September 19th.
September 20th.
PARIWARA ISLANDS.
September 21st.
low land forming a sandy beach on two of the sides. The island is
covered with long coarse grass growing in tufts; there are also
some pandanus trees of two kinds (P. spiralis and P. pedunculata)
and some low brush of stunted bushy trees, their tops matted to-
gether, and indicating by the direction in which their branches are
bent that the prevailing wind is from the south-east.
No fresh water was found here. Some recent traces of natives were
met with--including two fireplaces where turtle and fish had been
cooked on a framework of sticks over a fire--precisely similar to
one of large size, formerly seen on the Duchateau Islands. I saw
many places where turtle eggs had been dug out of the sand behind
the beach, where besides were numerous burrows of a maritime
crab (Ocypode cursor) which also appeared to feed upon the eggs--
judging from the quantity of empty shells about the holes of those
creatures.
Of the two remaining islands of the group, one, less than a quarter
of a mile long, is covered with trees, probably a Bombax or
Erythrina--at this time destitute of leaves--on the other is a high
bare rock with three other small detached, needle-shaped ones ly-
ing off it. The observations with the theodolite having been com-
pleted we obtained some soundings and returned to the ship.
The view we had today from the Pariwara Islands was not so inter-
esting as I had expected. The shores of the bay stretching to the
northward of Redscar Head for many miles are low and covered
with tall trees behind a strip of sandy beach. At the back of the
point in the corner of the bay, we saw an opening two hundred
yards wide, with tall mangroves on the northern bank, apparently
one of the mouths of a river traversing the great extent of low
wooded country behind. A very large fire two or three miles behind
the beach, sending up great volumes of smoke, might have been in-
tended for a signal, but neither canoes nor natives were seen dur-
ing our absence from the ship.
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September 24th.
A canoe with twelve young men and lads came off from the shore,
and approached within two hundred yards of the ship, but al-
though tempted by the exhibition of a large piece of red cloth, they
would come no closer. Their visit was apparently prompted by
mere curiosity as they had nothing to barter with. These natives
closely resembled the other Papuans seen to the eastward, but were
smaller in stature, and wore the hair frizzled up into a mop project-
ing backwards, nor had I before seen in one canoe so many hand-
some faces. As a breech-cloth they wore a narrow strip of white
cloth passing between the legs and secured to a string round the
waist, but this was too narrow to serve as a fig-leaf. Among their
ornaments we saw necklaces of small white cowries, and round flat
pieces of shell two inches in diameter worn on the breast, also
black, tightly fitting, woven armlets, in which they had stuck
bunches of apparently the same purple odoriferous amaranth seen
elsewhere, while other tufts of this plant were attached to the
ankles and elbows.
CANOE DESCRIBED.
During our stay at this anchorage we had fine weather, with light
variable winds of short duration, generally from the westward, but
sometimes from the northward, and the thermometer ranged
between 77 and 84 degrees.
September 25th.
in the shade. In the evening we got a land breeze from about east,
which lasted most of the night.
September 26th.
were also eagerly sought after--but iron was not prized--indeed its
use appeared to be unknown, nor had they any name for it.
BAMBOO KNIFE.
While leaning out of one of the wardroom ports, and getting words
from a very intelligent native whose attention I secured by giving
him various little presents from time to time, I had occasion to
point to a bamboo scoop* lying in the canoe in order to get its
name. The man, to my surprise, immediately bit off a narrow strip
from one side, as if to sharpen the edge, and taking up a piece of
stick, showed me that this scoop was used as a knife. Not to be out-
done I took one of our common knives and cut away vigorously at a
piece of wood to show the superiority of our knives over his one; he
appeared suddenly to become terrified, talked vehemently to the
others, drew their attention to me, and repeated my motions of
cutting the wood, after which his canoe pushed off from the ship's
side. My friend refused to accept of the knife--as I afterwards
found the natives had also done to other people when iron imple-
ments were offered them--nor would he pay any further attention
to my attempts to effect a reconciliation.
NATIVE HAIR-DRESSING.
wore fillets of small shells strung together over a broad white band
of some leafy substance. The septum of the nose was perforated,
and some wore a long straight nose-stick of bone with black bands.
All our visitors had their teeth darkened with the practice of betel
chewing--we saw them use the leaf of the betel pepper, the green
areca nut, and lime, the last carried in a small calabash with a
spatula.
We had been becalmed all the morning, but before noon the seab-
reeze set in from the South-South-East, and we got underweigh,
ran past South-west Cape, and anchored in 22 fathoms mud, off a
large island afterwards named in honour of Lieutenant Yule.
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September 27th.
This has proved a very uneasy anchorage under the combined in-
fluence of a strong breeze from the south-east and a heavy sea. At
one P.M. we got underweigh in company with the Bramble, and left
the coast of New Guinea, running to the westward for Cape York, in
order to meet the vessel with our supplies from Sydney.
Next evening Bramble Cay was seen on our weather beam; being so
low and so small an object, we had nearly missed it. We hauled
upon a wind immediately but could not fetch its lee, so anchored
two and a half miles North-west by West from it. Great numbers of
boobies and noddies came about us, but our distance from the
shore was too great and our stay too short to send on shore for
birds' eggs.
September 29th.
On the following day the Bramble* left us for Booby Island, to call
at the post office there, and rejoin company at Cape York, and we
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October 1st.
CHAPTER 1.8.
Rescue a white Woman from Captivity among the Natives.
Her History.
Bramble and boats complete the Survey of Torres Strait.
Wini and the Mulgrave Islanders.
Intercourse with the Cape York Natives.
Nearly quarrel with them at a night dance.
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On the day after our arrival at Cape York the vessel from Sydney
with our supplies anchored beside us, and besides provisions and
stores, we had the additional pleasure of receiving five months'
news from home.
On our second and present visit, however, which the Cape York
people immediately announced by smoke signals to their friends in
Muralug, she was successful in persuading some of her more im-
mediate friends to bring her across to the mainland within a short
distance of where the vessels lay. The blacks were credulous
enough to believe that as she had been so long with them, and had
been so well treated, she did not intend to leave them--only she felt
a strong desire to see the white people once more and shake hands
with them; adding, that she would be certain to procure some axes,
knives, tobacco, and other much prized articles. This appeal to
their cupidity decided the question at once. After landing at the
sandy bay on the western side of Cape York, she hurried across to
Evans Bay, as quickly as her lameness would allow, fearful that the
blacks might change their mind; and well it was that she did so, as
a small party of men followed to detain her, but arrived too late.
Three of these people were brought on board at her own request,
and as they had been instrumental in saving her from the wreck,
they were presented with an axe apiece, and other presents.
HER HISTORY.
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When first seen on shore our new shipmate presented so dirty and
wretched an appearance that some people who were out shooting
at first mistook her for a gin, and were passing by without taking
further notice, when she called out to them in English: "I am a
white woman, why do you leave me?" With the exception of a nar-
row fringe of leaves in front, she wore no clothing, and her skin was
tanned and blistered with the sun, and showed the marks of several
large burns which had been received from sleeping too near the fire
on cold nights; besides, she was suffering from ophthalmia, which
had previously deprived her of the sight of one eye. But good living,
and every comfort (for Captain Stanley kindly provided her with a
cabin and a seat at his table) combined with medical attention,
very soon restored her health, and she was eventually handed over
to her parents in Sydney in excellent condition.
some of the Gudang people there knew the Kowrarega, through its
medium I was usually able to make myself tolerably well under-
stood, and thus obtain an explanation of some matters which had
formerly puzzled me, and correct various errors into which I had
fallen. It was well, too, that I took an early opportunity of procur-
ing these words, for my informant afterwards forgot much of her
lately-acquired language, and her value as an authority on that
subject gradually diminished.
Giaom was evidently a great favourite with the blacks, and hardly a
day passed on which she was not obliged to hold a levee in her cab-
in for the reception of friends from the shore, while other visitors,
less favoured, were content to talk to her through the port. They
occasionally brought presents of fish and turtle, but always expec-
ted an equivalent of some kind. Her friend, Boroto, the nature of
the intimacy with whom was not at first understood, after in vain
attempting by smooth words and fair promises to induce her to go
back to live with him, left the ship in a rage, and we were not sorry
to get rid of so impudent and troublesome a visitor as he had be-
come. Previous to leaving, he had threatened that, should he or any
of his friends ever catch his faithless spouse on shore, they would
take off her head to carry back with them to Muralug; and so likely
to be fulfilled did she consider this threat, being in perfect accord-
ance with their customs, that she never afterwards ventured on
shore at Cape York.
During the period of our stay at Cape York, the Bramble, Asp, and
Rattlesnake's pinnace were sent away to the western entrance of
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The boats had held no intercourse with any of the natives, except a
small party of Kowraregas, the inhabitants of Mulgrave and Banks
Islands having carefully avoided them. Hopes had been entertained
prior to starting of seeing something of a white man of the name of
Wini, who had lived with the Badus for many years. Giaom had
seen and conversed with him during a visit to Muralug which he
had made in hopes of inducing her to share his fortunes. She sup-
posed him to be a foreigner, from his not appearing to understand
the English she used when asked by him to speak in her native
tongue. He had reached Mulgrave Island in a boat after having, by
his own account, killed his companions, some three or four in
number. In course of time he became the most important person in
the tribe, having gained an ascendancy by procuring the death of
his principal enemies and intimidating others, which led to the es-
tablishment of his fame as a warrior, and he became in con-
sequence the possessor of several wives, a canoe, and some prop-
erty in land, the cultivation of which last he pays great attention to.
Wini's character appears from the accounts I have heard--for oth-
ers corroborated part of Giaom's statement--to be a compound of
villainy and cunning, in addition to the ferocity and headstrong
passions of a thorough savage--it strikes me that he must have
been a runaway convict, probably from Norfolk Island. It is fortu-
nate that his sphere of mischief is so limited, for a more dangerous
ruffian could not easily be found. As matters stand at present, it is
probable that not only during his life, but for years afterwards,
every European who falls into the hands of the Badu people will
meet with certain death.*
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One evening I was asked to join a party made up for the purpose of
witnessing a native dance. Many strange blacks were then en-
camped on the margin of the beach, and altogether about 150
people belonging to four or five tribes had collected. Not being ap-
prised of our coming they showed much surprise and suspicion at
our landing after dark, but, with some trouble, a number were in-
duced by the promise of a quantity of biscuit to get up a dance
round a large fire on the sand to the music of a drum which we had
taken with us to announce our approach. The dance after all was a
very poor affair--none of the performers were painted and decor-
ated, there was little scenic effect, and they seemed glad when it
was over. The bag containing the promised biscuit was most injudi-
ciously handed over to an old woman named Baki, or queena wo-
man Baki, as someone had taught her to call herself, for distribu-
tion among the party. She doled out a few handfuls to some women
and children who had not been at all concerned in the matter, and
would have marched off with the remainder had she not been pre-
vented. The appointment of a woman to this office gave great of-
fence to the men who had been dancing--while not one among
them would have scrupled forcibly to deprive her of the whole on
the very first opportunity, yet every man there scorned the idea of
having to ASK a woman for anything--the consequence was that
the performers were not rewarded, and naturally imagined that we
had broken faith with them. The discontent increased, some of the
men left in a state of great excitement, and went for their spears
and throwing sticks. One or two rockets were sent up soon after to
amuse them, on which the few remaining women and children hur-
ried to their sheds of bark and hid their faces in terror. When a
blue light was burned, and lit up the gloomy shadows of the neigh-
bouring bush, it disclosed the spectral figures of many armed men
among the trees, singly and in groups, intently watching our
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motions. Paida, who with other native allies of ours still remained
with us, was very urgent for us to be off, telling me that spears
would be thrown immediately (kaibu kalaka muro); being a kotaig
of mine, he considered himself bound to attend to my safety, so
conducted me to the boat which he assisted in shoving off, nor did
he retire from the beach until we had got into deep water.
The precision with which the spears were thrown was not less re-
markable than the dexterity which with they were avoided. In
nearly every case the person thrown at would, apparently, have
been struck had he stood still, but, his keenness of sight enabled
him to escape by springing aside as required, variously inclining
the body, or sometimes merely lifting up a leg to allow the spear to
pass by, and had two been thrown at one person at the same mo-
ment he could scarcely have escaped, but this I observed was never
attempted, as it would have been in war, here each individual ap-
peared to have a particular opponent. I had a capital view of the
whole of the proceedings, being seated about fifty yards behind and
slightly on the flank of one of the two contending parties. One
spear thrown higher than usual passed within five yards of me, but
this I was satisfied was the result of accident, as I had seen it come
from Paida's party. Soon afterwards I observed a man at the right
extreme of the line next me, who had been dodging round a large
scaevola bush for some time back, make a sudden dart at one of the
opposite party and chop him down the shoulder with an iron
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The lower part of the valley is open forest land, or nearly level and
thinly wooded country covered with tall coarse grass. Further up it
becomes more beautiful. From the belt of wood, concealing the
windings of the river, grassy sloping meadows extend upwards on
each side to the flanking ridges which are covered with dense scrub
occasionally extending in straggling patches down to the water,
and forming a kind of imperfect natural fence. The soil of these
meadows is rich sandy loam, affording great apparent facilities for
cultivation from their proximity to what is probably a never-failing
supply of fresh water. Here, at the end of the dry season, and be-
fore the periodical rains had fairly set in, we found the stream at
halfway up to be about six feet in average breadth, slowly running
over a shallow, gravelly, or earthy bed, with occasional pools from
two to four feet in depth.
ITS ADVANTAGES.
NATIVE BIRD-NESTING.
A NEW BOWERBIRD.
Two days before we left Cape York I was told that some bowerbirds
had been seen in a thicket, or patch of low scrub, half a mile from
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Among the gamebirds of Cape York, the emu is entitled to the first
rank. Only two or three, however, were seen, and we were not for-
tunate enough to procure one. One day an emu allowed me to ap-
proach within fifty yards by stalking it cautiously, holding up a
large green bough before me, when, becoming alarmed, it darted in
its fright into a thicket and was lost to view.
BRUSH TURKEY.
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SEASONS.
As at Port Essington, the year at Cape York is divided into two sea-
sons,* the dry and the rainy. From personal observation and other
sources of information, it would appear that the limits and dura-
tion of these admit of so much variation that it is impossible to de-
termine with certainty, even within a month, when one ceases and
the other begins. It would appear however that the dry season,
characterised by the prevalence of the south-east trade, usually ter-
minates in November, the change having for some time previous
been indicated by calms, light winds, sometimes from the west-
ward, a gloomy unsettled appearance in the weather, and
occasional showers--violent squalls of wind and rain are frequent
about this time until the westerly breezes set in, when the weather
becomes moderate with frequent rain, occasionally very heavy, and
intervals, often of many days duration, of dry weather. In the
307/413
month of March the south-east trade usually resumes its former in-
fluence, the change being often attended with the same thick
squally weather, and perhaps a gale from the north-west, which
ushered in the westerly monsoon.
WINDS.
Our own experience of the winds during our last stay at Cape York,
at the period when the change of the monsoon was to be expected,
may be summed up as follows. During the month of October the
trade-wind prevailed, keeping pretty steady at East-South-East,
and generally blowing rather strongly, with hazy weather and an
occasional shower. For three days in the middle of the month we
experienced light north-westerly winds dying away again in the
evening, and on the 25th a violent squall from the same quarter ac-
companied by very heavy rain rendered it expedient that the ship
should next day be moved a cable's length further offshore. During
the four last days in the month we had calms and light winds from
the northward of east, as if the trade were about to cease, but it
commenced afresh and continued until the 26th of November, gen-
erally very moderate, with fine weather. During the last six days of
our stay we had light airs from about North-West, succeeded in the
evening by a slight puff of south-easterly wind followed by a calm
lasting all night. Last year, during the month of October, we experi-
enced no northerly or westerly winds, but a moderate trade pre-
vailed throughout, pretty steady at East-South-East, but varying
much in strength.
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TEMPERATURE.
In a place situated like Cape York, only about 640 miles distant
from the equator, the atmospheric temperature may be expected to
be very high; still the heat, although occasionally very oppressive
for a time, caused very different sensations from those experienced
during the almost stifling calms of Port Essington. At Cape York,
however, calms seldom lasted above a few hours, as from its penin-
sular position the land receives the full influence of nearly every
breeze. An abstract of the thermometrical observations made on
board the Rattlesnake shows the following results:
COLUMN 1: DATE.
COLUMN 2: AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND
MINUTES.
COLUMN 3: AVERAGE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE IN
DEGREES AND MINUTES.
COLUMN 4: AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE IN
DEGREES AND MINUTES.
October 1848 : 81 : 85 : 77 5.
October 1849 : 81 : 83 8 : 78 7.
November 1849 : 81 9 : 84 8 : 79.
During the above period, the highest and lowest temperatures re-
corded by the self-registering maximum and minimum thermo-
meter are, for October 1848, 88 and 73 degrees; for October 1849,
83.8 .and 77 degrees; and for November 1849, 88 and 76 degrees.
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APPENDIX 1.
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311/413
312/413
APPENDIX 2.
ABSTRACTS OF MERIDIAN DISTANCES MEASURED DURING
THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE, 1847 TO 1850, BY
CAPTAIN OWEN STANLEY, R.N., F.R.S., AND LIEUTENANT
C.B. YULE, R.N.
The fourth (interval of days) is the elapsed time between the last
day at the first station and first day at the second.
The asterisks point out the place to which the mean meridian from
Sydney refers.
APPENDIX 3.
OBSERVATIONS OF THE MEAN MAGNETIC INCLINATION,
MADE ON SHORE IN THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE,
BY LIEUTENANT J. DAYMAN, R.N.
MADEIRA.
PORT JACKSON.
KEPPEL ISLAND.
MORETON BAY.
PORT PHILLIP.
PORT DALRYMPLE.
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PORT JACKSON.
On the West Point of the Island, with Fox's Needle C, with index
error applied: 44 8 8 S.
On the North Point of North Low Islet, with Fox's Needle C, with
index error applied: 42 22 4 S.
LIZARD ISLAND.
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CAPE YORK.
PORT ESSINGTON.
Note: The observations on board the ship at this station are the
nearest to the truth, there being much ironstone strewed over the
country about the observation spot onshore.
PORT JACKSON.
MORETON BAY.
321/413
CAPE YORK.
At the Observation spot of the Erebus and Terror near the old set-
tlement, Berkeley Sound, by Fox's Needle B, corrected for index er-
ror: 51 25 6 S.
FAYAL, AZORES.
NEW ZOOPHYTES.
C. Busk, delt. W. Wing, lith.
T. & W. Boone, Publishers, London. 1852.
Hullmandel & Walton, Lithographers.
APPENDIX 4.
POLYZOA.
Calpidium.
Diachoris.
Didymia.
Dimetopia.
Catenicella.
Salicornaria.
Cellularia.
Scrupocellaria.
Bicellaria.
Canda.
Emma.
Acamarchis.
Caberea.
Calpidium.
Canda ?
Didymia.
Dimetopia.
All the rest, excepting two, Emma and Diachoris, appear to be dis-
tributed over the globe in both hemispheres. The above two are
perhaps limited to the southern.
Tubulipora phalangea ?
Crisia denticulata.
Eucratea chelata.
Anguinaria spatulata.
Acamarchis neritina.
Retepora cellulosa.
Sixteen others are met with in other parts of the Southern hemi-
sphere, namely:
Catenicella elegans ?
Catenicella ventricosa.
Eschara lichenoides, occurring in Algoa Bay.
Caberea zelanica.
Acamarchis tridentata, in Algoa Bay and New Zealand.
Caberea lata.
Catenicella hastata.
Catenicella cribraria.
Catenicella cornuta.
Cellularia monotrypa.
Bicellaria tuba, in New Zealand and
Emma crystallina.
Emma tricellata, in New Zealand and Campbell's Island.
The method according to which the Polyzoa are arranged, is, in the
primary divisions at least, pretty nearly identical with that indic-
ated in the Synopsis of the Families and Genera of Polyzoa In-
fundibulata, given in Dr. Johnston's British Zoophytes.*
Fam. 1. TUBULIPORIDAE.
Gen. 1. Tubulipora.
Sp. 1. T. phalangea ?
2. Pustulipora.
2. P. australis, n. sp.
3. Idmonea.
3. I. radians.
Fam. 2. CRISIADAE.
4. Crisia.
4. C. denticulata.
5. C. acropora, n. sp.
§. 1. UNISERIALARIA.
Fam. 1. CATENICELLIDAE.
5. Catenicella.
a. fenestratae.
6. C. hastata, n. sp. ?
7. C. amphora, n. sp.
8. C. margaritacea, n. sp.
9. C. ventricosa, n. sp.
10. C. plagiostoma, n. sp.
11. C. lorica, n. sp.
12. C. cribaria, n. sp.
b. vittatae.
13. C. formosa, n. sp.
14. C. gibbosa, n. sp.
15. C. elegans, n. sp.
16. C. cornuta, n. sp.
17. C. umbonata, n. sp.
331/413
c. inermes.
18. C. carinata, n. sp.
6. Calpidium, n. g.
19. C. ornatum, n. sp.
Fam. 2. EUCRATIADAE.
7. Eucratea.
20. E. chelata.
8. Anguinaria.
21. A. spatulata.
§ 2. MULTISERIALARIA.
1. Articulata.
a. internodes elongated, multicellular.
Fam. 1. SALICORNARIADAE.
9. Salicornaria.
22. S. punctata, n. sp. ?
23. S. bicornis, n. sp.
24. S. dichotoma, n. sp.
25. S. marginata, n. sp.
Fam. 2. CELLULARIADAE.
10. Cellularia.
26. C. monotrypa, n. sp.
11. Scrupocellaria.
27. S. cervicornis, n. sp.
28. S. diadema, n. sp.
29. S. cyclostoma, n. sp.
30. S. ferox, n. sp.
12. Canda.
31. C. arachnoides.
b. internodes short, 2-4 celled.
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13. Emma.
32. E. crystallina.
33. E. tricellata, n. sp.
2. Inarticulata.
Fam. 3. BICELLARIADAE.
14. Bicellaria. 1
34. B. tuba, n. sp.
35. B. gracilis, n. sp.
36. B. grandis, n. sp.
37. B. flexilis, n. sp.
15. Acamarchis.
38. A. neritina.
39. A. tridentata.
Fam. 4. CABEREADAE.
16. Caberea.
40. C. rudis, n. sp.
41. C. zelanica.
42. C. lata, n. sp. ?
Fam. 5. FLUSTRADAE.
17. Flustra.
43. F. pyriformis ?
44. F. denticulata, n. sp.
18. Retepora.
45. R. cornea, n. sp. ?
46. R. cellulosa.
47. R. ctenostoma, n. sp.
19. Eschara.
48. E. lichenoides.
333/413
20. Diachoris, n. g.
49. D. crotali, n. sp.
Fam. 6. CELLEPORIDAE.
21. Cellepora.
50. C. bilabiata, n. sp. ?
Fam. 7. GEMELLARIADAE.
22. Didymia, n. g.
51. D. simplex, n. sp.
23. Dimetopia, n. g.
52. D. spicata, n. sp.
53. D. cornuta, n. sp.
Fam. 1. VESICULARIADAE.
24. Amathia.
54. A. biseriata.
Suborder 1. CYCLOSTOMATA.
Fam. 1. TUBULIPORIDAE.
1. TUBULIPORA, Lamarck.
1. T. phalangea, Couch.
Habitat: Bass Strait, 45 fathoms.
2. PUSTULIPORA, Blainville.
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1. P. australis, n. sp.
P. deflexa ? Couch.
3. IDMONEA, Lamouroux.
One minute specimen, but very perfect, has been examined; but it
is undoubtedly the one described and figured by M. Edwards, and
335/413
Fam. 2. CRISIADAE.
4. CRISIA, Lamouroux.
1. C. denticulata, Fleming.
Habitat: Bass Strait, 45 fathoms.
2. C. acropora, n. sp.
Suborder 2. CHEILOSTOMATA.
Cells arising one from the upper and back part of another by a
short corneous tube, and disposed in a linear series, all facing the
same way, and forming dichotomously divided branches of a phyt-
oid polyzoary; cells geminate at the bifurcation of the branches;
each cell furnished with two lateral processes usually supporting
an avicularium. Ovicells either subglobose and terminal, or galeri-
form and placed below the mouth of a cell in front.
Each cell arises from the upper and back part of another, with the
intervention of a short corneous tube which is prolonged from the
interior of one cell to that of the one above. The cell is furnished on
each side at the top with a usually well-developed avicularium, in
some species of huge size, and in some very minute, or entirely
aborted. This avicularian process in most cases supports above a
hollow process, which is sometimes closed and more or less elong-
ated, constituting a conical or acerose spine, sometimes open
above and assuming the form of a shallow cup or receptacle. In
some species both modifications of this portion of the lateral pro-
cess are met with in the same specimen. This form of spine or cup--
as the case may be, is always distinctly separated by a septum from
337/413
The inferior oval space above described is here termed the lateral
area, and it is employed in the specific characters. It would thus be
correct to say--that each cell is furnished with two lateral pro-
cesses, each of which in the fully developed state consists of three
distinct compartments--one superior, a cup or spine: a middle one,
which is the avicularium: and an inferior; and it would appear that
one or more of these elementary compartments of the lateral pro-
cess may be more developed than the next, or sometimes entirely
aborted. The mouth of the cell is situated at the upper part in front,
and is of the same conformation as in the rest of the Cheilostomat-
ous suborder. An important generic character consists in the gem-
ination of the cell at each bifurcation.*
In the fenestrate division, in the whole of which the cells are of lar-
ger size and stronger than in the other, the wall of the cell appears
to be constituted of at least two distinct laminae. The external lam-
ina, on the front of the cell, is perforated by a certain number of
holes, is wanting rather in a certain number of spaces, for which
spaces the term fenestrae is employed. These apparent openings do
not, therefore, penetrate into the cavity of the cell. But besides the
fenestrae, there is, in some cases, a small central opening which
does penetrate through the wall. In most cases the fenestrae are ar-
ranged in a crescentic, or rather horseshoe-shaped line, indicative,
as it were, of the limits of a regular oval space, in the front wall of
the cell, the upper part of which oval would be formed by the
mouth, and the remainder filled up by the deposition of calcareous
matter, as happens for instance in the older cells towards the bot-
tom of the polyzoary in certain Cellulariae, etc.
In the Vittatae the cell is smaller, and usually more delicate and
transparent. They probably want the outer lamina, or have it very
thin, and consequently present no fenestrate spaces, and the front
of the cell is beset (sometimes very sparingly) with more or less
prominent, minute, acuminate papillae. On each side, sometimes
on the anterior aspect, sometimes quite laterally, is a narrow
elongated band or vitta, as it is here designated, from which the
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a. Fenestratae.
1. C. hastata, n. sp. ?
2. C. amphora, n. sp.
The length of the branches before their dividing, and their straight-
ness, together with the colour of this species, render it not improb-
able that it is the form intended by Lamarck (l.c.).
341/413
3. C. margaritacea, n. sp.
5. C. plagiostoma, n. sp.
swathed with broad tapes or bands. The wide spaces left between
the bands in front clearly represent the true nature of the fenestrae
of other species. It is the only species furnished with elongated
setose spines.
6. C. lorica, n. sp.
7. C. cribaria, n. sp.
b. Vittatae.
8. C. formosa, n. sp.
9. C. gibbosa, n. sp.
are always geminate, that is to say, have a smaller cell growing out
from one side.
This curious species is the only one belonging to the genus. The
cells are very large, regular, and uniform, resembling very closely
an antique sculptured urn. Colour dark brown, and the walls so
thick as to be nearly opaque. The polyzoary, which appears to at-
tain a height of four or five inches, is bipinnate (with all the
branches on one plane) the branches alternate, and given off with
extreme regularity. The ultimate ramules are incurved. The whole
forms a very elegant object. The central stem, or series of cells, dif-
fers in no respect as regards the size or disposition of the cells com-
posing it, from the branches.
Fam. 2. EUCRATIADAE.
7. EUCRATEA, Lamouroux.
In all respects identical with the British form. It also occurs at Port
Adelaide.
8. ANGUINARIA, Lamarck.
1. A. spatulata, Lamarck.
1. Articulata.
9. SALICORNARIA, Cuvier.
1. S. punctata, n. sp.
2. S. bicornis, n. sp.
3. S. furcata, n. sp.
353/413
Forms small crowded tufts from one to two or three inches high;
branches very regularly dichotomous.
4. S. torresiana, n. sp.
A. inarmatae--without avicularium.
1. C. monotrypa, n. sp.
the form of birds' heads, and which form does not occur in the
genus Scrupocellaria.
1. S. cervicornis, n. sp.
2. S. diadema, n. sp.
3. S. cyclostoma, n. sp.
4. S. ferox, n. sp.
Character: (B.) cells rhomboidal, sinuated on the outer side for the
lodgment of a vibraculum. No sessile avicularium on the upper and
outer angle in front. An uncertain number of flexible avicularia, ar-
ranged along the middle of the branches, and in much less number
than the cells.
1. C. arachnoides, Lamouroux.
Cells biserial; opening oval, truncated above, and the upper margin
recedent, with a spine on each side, the outer the longer surface of
cell covered with transparent granulations.
Cells in pairs; three spines on the outer edge, the central usually
the longest and strongest.
Cells in triplets; three or four long spines on the upper and outer
part; a small spine on the inner and lower part of the edge of the
opening.
Parasitic upon Catenicella, etc. Habit long straggling, very like the
preceding species. The cells are more infundibuliform, and the
avicularium, which, as in E. crystallina is not always present, is lar-
ger, but occupies the same position on the cell.
1. B. tuba, n. sp.
2. B. gracilis, n. sp.
3. B. grandis, n. sp.
Quite distinct from B. ciliata not only in its size, which is nearly
three times as great, but in the form of the cell and the opening.
The number of spines varies very much, and two or three of them,
not unfrequently, arise from a common projecting process or base.
4. B. johnstoniae.
1. A. neritina, Lamouroux.
Fam. 4. CABEREADAE.
Where there are more than two rows of cells, the marginal cells dif-
fer in conformation from the central.
a. Operculatae.
1. C. rudis, n. sp.
2. C. zelanica, Busk.
3. C. lata, n. sp. ?
C. dichotoma ?, Lamouroux.
366/413
The only other species with which the present can be confounded is
Caberea hookeri (Cellularia hookeri, Fleming) a British form. The
latter species appears to differ from C. lata, chiefly in its having a
large tubular spine on each side of the mouth of the lateral cells,
and in each of the central cells, or nearly so, being furnished with
an anterior avicularium, below the opening and to one side. The
lateral sessile avicularium on the marginal cells is also much larger.
Fam. 5. FLUSTRADAE.
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1. F. pyriformis ?, Lamouroux.
2. F. denticulata, n. sp.
1. R. cornea, n. sp.
R. ambigua ? Lamarck.
2. R. cellulosa.
3. R. ctenostoma, n. sp.
Habitat: Australian Sea, probably Bass Strait. (It also occurs in Al-
goa Bay.)
Cells separate, each connected with six others by short tubes; dis-
posed in a horizontal plane, and forming a continuous irregular
frond; free, or partially adnate.
Fam. 6. CELLEPORIDAE.
C. labiata, Lamouroux.
Fam. 7. GEMELLARIADAE.
Cells joined back to back; the mouths of each alternate pair looking
in the same direction, and at rightangles to the intermediate pair.
Suborder 3. CTENOSTOMATA.
SERTULARIAN ZOOPHYTES.
Sertularia operculata.
Campanularia dumosa.
Campanularia volubilis ?
There are also, what is much more strange, not more than three
species which I have been enabled to trace to any other locality,
even in the Southern hemisphere. These are:
Sertularia elongata.
Sertularia divaricata, n. sp.
Plumularia macgillivrai, n. sp.
375/413
The first occurring in New Zealand; the second on the south coast
of Patagonia and in the Straits of Magellan; and the third (which,
however, is not, strictly speaking, an Australian form, having been
procured in the Louisiade Archipelago) in the Philippine Islands.
With these six exceptions, the whole number of species would
therefore, to a certain extent, appear to be characteristic of the
Australian seas.
The mode in which the species are arranged will be seen from the
following synoptical arrangement:
§ 2. Gymnocarpeae.
27. P. effusa, n. sp.
28. P. campanula, n. sp.
Fam. 2. CAMPANULARIADAE.
4. Campanularia.
29. C. volubilis (?)
30. C. dumosa.
5. Laomedea.
31. L. torressii, n. sp.
Suborder. SERTULARINA.
Fam. 1. SERTULARIADAE.
a. Cells distichous.
1. S. elongata, Lamouroux.
2. S. divaricata, n. sp.
This species occurs also on the south coast of Patagonia, and the
Straits of Magellan; in the latter locality, however, the habit is
much more robust.
Very like a Thuiaria, but the cells are not immersed, though very
closely adnate, and the outer angle of the square base of each cell is
in contact with the upper and back part of the one below it, so that
a small triangular space or opening is left below each cell. The
branches are very regularly alternate; and the polypidom is of a
light brownish colour.
4. S. pristis, (B.).
I see no reason why the present species should not come under
Sertularia. It is peculiar from the position and extreme contiguity
of the alternate cells. The ovicells arise from the back of the rachis
towards the side. When viewed posteriorly, the cells are seen
through the transparent rachis, and it might thus at first sight ap-
pear as if the rachis itself were cellular and not tubular, but such is
not the case. The tube is wide and continuous from end to end.
5. S. subcarinata, n. sp.
6. S. patula, n. sp.
7. S. Orthogonia, n. sp.
Very like the preceding in habit and size, of which it may possibly
prove to be a variety. The cells, however, throughout the whole of
the polypidom are of precisely the same character, in each form,
and exhibit no intermediate steps. In the present species the cells
are much longer, rather narrower, and the upper half is turned out
abruptly at a rightangle, whilst in the former they ascend at an
angle of 45 degrees, and the free portion is much shorter. The
381/413
8. S. mutulata, n. sp.
Colour light olive grey. Polypidom about three inches high, irregu-
larly ? branched, branches not opposite. The cells are distichous,
and of a very peculiar form, but varying in some degree according
to their situation. The younger (?) cells on the secondary branches
are flat on the inferior or outer aspect, with two angles on each
side, or are quadrangular; whilst the cells on the stems or older or
fertile branches are usually rounded below, or on the outer side,
and thus have only one angle on each side. The mouth varies in
shape according to the cell; in the former case being a regular long
rectangle, whilst in the latter it is rounded on the outer side. The
ovicells are placed in a single series on one side of the rachis, as in
S. digitalis, but are widely different in form.
9. S. operculata, Linn.
b. Cells secund.
Colour dark grey, almost black. Stem two or three inches high,
rising either from a strong main trunk (?) or from a mass of inter-
twined radical tubes. Stems or branches pinnate: pinnae or
branches alternate, straight, divaricate. The cells forming a pair,
are, on the branches, adnate to each other throughout their whole
length. But on the stem the cells are distichous and wide apart. The
ovicells are peculiar in their long flask-like form, and tubular
mouth. They are placed all on one side of the rachis, generally in
single file, but sometimes in pairs.
D. distans ? Lamouroux.
Cells urceolate, upper half free, projecting in front, and much con-
tracted towards the mouth; elliptical, with the long axis horizontal,
looking forwards and a little outwards; two long lateral teeth, the
outer the longer and usually incurved. Ovicell ovoid; mouth wide,
with a much elevated, thickened border.
2. Pasythea, Lamouroux.
1. P. hexodon, n. sp.
to the figure given of the latter the ovicell is not adnate, and is spir-
ally grooved.
3. PLUMULARIA, Lamarck.
1. P. huxleyi, n. sp.
2. P. hians, n. sp.
3. P. delicatula, n. sp.
4. P. aurita, n. sp.
388/413
5. P. brevirostris, n. sp.
Colour dirty white. In habit, and to the naked eye, very much like
the last; its growth, however, appears to be longer and less regular.
The difference in the cell is very great.
6. P. ramosa, n. sp.
7. P. divaricata, n. sp.
8. P. phoenicea, n. sp.
solely from the cell, small, upper half free, projecting, tubular; lat-
eral processes long, cylindrical, or tapering, free, projecting.
9. P. longicornis, n. sp.
Cells urceolate, deep, upper half curved abruptly upon the lower,
so that the mouth is vertical; margin subplicate, subcrenate, rising
on each side into a broad angular lobe, entire behind, and quite
free from the rachis. Rostrum, rising entirely from the cell, with a
broad base, suddenly contracting into a long slender tube, which
projects in front a long way from the cell; lateral processes very
long, free, tubular, projecting suddenly forwards and a little up-
wards and outwards.
b. Gymnocarpeae--ovicells naked.
ramules, about an inch long. The branches and branchlets are both
pinnulated; the pinnules are not more than 1/10 to 1/12 inches
long, extremely delicate and minute, so as in the dry state to be
scarcely visible. The transition from the former section of the
genus Plumularia to the present, is well shown, through P. macgil-
livrayi and the present species.
Fam. 4. CAMPANULARIADAE.
4. CAMPANULARIA, Lamarck.
393/413
1. C. dumosa, Pallas.
5. LAOMEDEA, Lamouroux.
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